


Royally Messed Up

by RoyallyJeleanor



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Jaspenor - Freeform, Jaspenor fanfic, Jeleanor, Jeleanor fanfic, the royals - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:38:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 64,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyallyJeleanor/pseuds/RoyallyJeleanor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eleanor's world has been torn apart, scandals are rife and it's impossible to tell the lies from the truth. How will she handle the death of her father and the events of the following months and who can she trust?<br/>My interpretation of what could have happened following Season 1!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Come and find me on tumblr @RoyallyJeleanor :)

He was gone. The one person in the world other than her brother who she really trusted. The one who had taught her to ride a bike around the palace gardens, the one who had tucked her into bed every night as a child after reading her a story, the one who had hugged her whenever she felt scared and had instantly made her feel safe. Her father was gone, or at least the person she had thought was her father.

Great, heaving sobs racked her body as tears streamed down her face. She felt as if the air had been knocked from her lungs and all other thoughts were instantly forgotten. As Liam’s arms wrapped her she felt her knees collapse and was left clinging onto his shoulders for support, as if the world had fallen from beneath her feet and her body had turned to jelly. A searing pain burnt in the centre of her chest, in her heart. Her eyes stung and her head ached, the stress and pain of the last couple of days hitting her at once like a tidal wave, battering against her emotions.

Jasper stood helpless, staring at the broken shell of Eleanor clinging to her brother. He felt the sudden sting of tears in his eyes and blinked rapidly to suppress them. The King’s death had been expected, had just been a matter of time, and he had been dreading this day ever since he heard the news of his attack. He wasn’t sad about Simon’s death, he was sad about the effect it was undoubtedly going to have on Eleanor. It could go two ways, he’d concluded, either she would turn to drugs, drink and partying to numb the pain, lashing out in anger and pretending that she was fine, or she would break down and close in on herself. Either way she was bound to push him further away. Judging by the scene in front of him it was likely to be the second option. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her any more than he already had, as selfish as it sounded. Although she despised him now, would probably never touch him again and would definitely never trust him, she was still the confident, free spirited, passionate girl he had met on that first day in the cellar. The girl who would do anything to wind him up, who didn’t care what others thought of her and did what she wanted to do. The girl who cherished her father and her brothers and would have done anything to protect them no matter the consequences for herself, the girl who was witty and bright and funny. Or at least she had been an hour ago. He’d had no choice but stand and watch in despair as she had caught her brother’s eyes and immediately known the truth. She’d collapsed into Liam’s arms like the life had been knocked out of her and he had almost been able to feel the life draining out of her and he knew then that she was no longer the Eleanor her knew. It would be a long time before he saw that girl again.

Jasper was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts by the harsh sound of Liam clearing his thought. As he looked over at him Liam moved his head to indicate for Jasper to come closer and help him with his sister. Spurred into action jasper dropped his jacket onto the floor and strode towards the grieving siblings and wound his arm around Eleanor’s back as Liam held her by the shoulders. Slowly they guided her towards the plush chaise lounge next to them and lowered her gently onto the seat. As soon as she was sat down Eleanor curled her body up and rested her head against the pillows, her eyes fluttering closed and her long eyelashes leaving a dark shadow across her face as she quickly fell asleep. Jasper watched as Liam stood beside her, fear and pain shimmering in his eyes. His mouth opened as if he was going to speak but at first no sound came out. After licking his lips he tried again, his voice sounding hoarse,

‘Everything is going to change now. It won’t be easy for her.’

‘I’m sure it won’t be easy for you either Sir,’ Jasper replied tentatively in his British accent, ‘but at least she has you.’ Liam shook his head softly, tears remerging in his eyes.

‘I’m no use, I can’t help her. Just as I couldn’t help my dad. I let him down.’ Liam’s voice was laced with regret. Jasper knew he should say something but he didn’t know what to say. He knew what it felt like to have the heavy weight of your parent’s disappointment on your shoulders and he knew that no words could shift it, only time to move on and time to come to terms with. He’s been lucky that he hadn’t been close to his parents in a way, as their disgust at him for taking a job at a casino had quickly been forgotten and put behind him, but he knew Liam would suffer more with his grief and guilt and that the weight on his shoulders would be harder to shift. Instead of words Jasper patted Liam on the back.

‘At least she has you back,’ Liam muttered. ‘I’m sure you’ll be able to help her more than I can.’ Jasper stared shocked at Liam for a second as he processed what he had just said and a slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth. At least someone was happy to have him back. Liam returned Jaspers friendly gesture and gave him a pat on the back too. ‘I’m going to go upstairs, do you need help getting her to bed?’

‘No I’ll be fine, Eleanor’s new bodyguard is here if I do,’ Jasper replied. Liam glanced briefly at his sleeping sister before slowly walking out of the large room and down the hallway. Jasper smiled slightly to himself again, remembering the Prince’s words. They had rarely spoken throughout his time at the palace, instead remaining in the corner quietly where Eleanor continually put him, but the last time they had before today the prince had been rather unhappy at Jasper for his less than light-handed fist work. Now however, it seems the two were on amicable, if not friendly, terms. Plus, the Prince hadn’t tried to get him kicked out of the palace, which was a bonus.

Slowly, trying not to wake her, Jasper leant down and gently scooped the Princess into his arms. As he felt her stir in his sleep he froze, not wanting to face a confrontation about why he was holding her so close. But the princess remained asleep and simply shifted in his arms, moving her head to rest it on his shoulder and tucking her face into his neck. He could feel her soft breath on the side of his neck and wisps of her luscious brown hair were brushing tantalisingly against his cheek. The hairs on his arms stood up and he felt a rush of awareness and knew it would be difficult for him to ever put her down.

Eleanor’s new bodyguard followed him to Eleanor’s room as he carried her and Jasper could feel his eyes burning into the back of his head. The bodyguard had his arms outstretched as if he was ready to catch the Princess if Jasper were to drop her, but there was no way Jasper was loosening his grip on her until she was safely resting on her bed. Eleanor’s bodyguard had been about to object to Jasper lifting the Princess but Jasper had quickly given him a stern look and the bodyguard had let it slide. As Jasper waited for the bodyguard to open the door he was hoping desperately that he was not going to make a scene about Jasper entering the bedroom. To his surprise he stepped back to allow Jasper access to the room and briefly nodded goodnight at Jasper before softly closing the door.

As Jasper gently laid Eleanor down on her huge bed he felt a brief feeling of loss wash over him as her head fell from his shoulder onto her pillow and he released his hold from around her back. He peeled back the luxurious covers from beneath her and realised that she had a black pair of very high heeled boots on which would certainly not be comfortable to sleep in. Actually, none of her tight fitting outfit would be.

Taking a deep breath he reached behind her shoulders and easier her forward off the bed again and slipped her leather jacket off and dropped it on the floor before placing her back down on the bed smoothly. After pulling her boots off slowly he was faced with the difficult task of trying to remove her skin tight, leather trousers too. Cautiously he reached to unbutton her trousers and his fingers softly grazed against the smooth skin of her stomach and he had to focus on stopping his hands from shaking. It was as if her body skin was scolding his fingers, even as she slept. Eventually he managed to slide her pants off and he quickly pulled the quilt over her body, covering her long legs, to try and help him gather back some of his control. She looked beautiful nestled within the thick covers, her hair billowing out from her head and forming a halo around her and he took a moment to just watch her before reaching for her clothes and placing them neatly over the bed post.


	2. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.

Eleanor rolled over in the bed and winced, feeling the sun burning her eyes even as they remained closed. She quickly pulled the bed covers over her face and blinked rapidly as her eyes began to water. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly lowered the covers back down and waited for her eyes to adjust to the brightness. Suddenly she felt a sense of disorientation as the events of last night came rushing back to her. The last thing she remembered was collapsing into Liam’s arms and she had no idea how she had got back to her room. Bolting upright in bed her eyes scanned the room and immediately rested on the person asleep on her sofa, her navy blanket wrapped around his legs and hips.

Before she’d had the chance to properly look at him she felt her body stir and her brief fear and confusion disintegrated. His short dark blonde hair had fallen over his forehead and his mouth was open slightly. He had taken off his shirt so Eleanor could see his chest slowly rising and falling as he slept. Almost as if he could sense her watching him his eyelids twitched before he slowly opened his eyes and looked straight at her.

‘Morning Princess,’ he murmured as he rose up into a sitting position on the sofa. ‘How did you sleep?’

‘How did I get here Jasper?’ she demanded, ignoring his question. She watched as Jasper’s expression became more serious and his posture straightened, clear signs he was reverting back to bodyguard mode.

‘You fell asleep downstairs and I thought you would sleep better in your own room without so many members of staff watching you.’ He responded.

‘Oh, right. Well…’ Jasper almost thought she was going to thank him but then she stopped herself. It wouldn’t have been fitting with their relationship anyway, if you could call it that anymore.

Looking away from him she caught the site of black leather resting over the end of her bed and he saw her eyes widen slightly as she realised that they were the clothes she had been wearing last night.

‘Are they my clothes?’ she asked him immediately, eyes narrowing.

‘Yes, I didn’t think you would be very comfortable wearing such-’ he began, but she interrupted him, fire burning in her eyes.

‘So you undressed me when I was asleep?’ she almost yelled at him.

Jasper felt a smile beginning to raise the corners of his mouth at her embarrassment and outrage.

‘I’ve seen you in much less than you’re wearing now many times before Princess,’ he drawled, standing up from the sofa and walking towards her slowly.

‘Yes, well, that was different.’ As he got closer to her she shifted further up the bed as if she could get away from him and pulled the overs up so just the tops of her shoulders were visible.

‘Feeling shy Princess?’ he drawled as he sat next to her on the bed, leaning towards her and placing a hand at either side of her head.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before she reached her hands up and shoved gently at his chest. ‘Get off Jasper, we’re not playing your little game anymore, I know there is no video.’

Jasper rose off the bed and strode over to collect his shirt, ‘if you say so Princess. But we both know it wasn’t just a game.’ He murmured the last part so quietly she almost didn’t hear him and she wasn’t sure if that was his intention but before she had time to respond he had pulled on his shirt and turned to face her again, ‘I brought you some breakfast; I thought you might be hungry after missing dinner last night.’

Jasper had woken before Eleanor and had made his way to the kitchen to collect some breakfast for her, but when he had returned she had still been sleeping peacefully so he had reverted back to the sofa to wait for her to awaken.

Now Eleanor was watching him with a bemused expression on her face, ‘so now you’re getting me breakfast?’ she asked in mock surprise, referring to the many times when he had demanded she get him breakfast or coffee after a night in bed together.

‘Don’t worry the irony isn’t lost on me Princess,’ he responded with a wink.

‘I need to get dressed.’ She continued, ignoring the way her body stirred slightly at his simple gesture.

‘Okay, I’ll save you some don’t worry,’ Jasper replied, looking at something on his phone as he started eating one half of a croissant. He could feel her gaze boring a hole in to the side of his head and after a few moments he turned to look at her, realising she hadn’t moved a muscle. ‘What?’

‘Go outside a minute or turn around or something will you?’ she responded as if it was obvious that he should have already left. He couldn’t hold in his brief chuckle of disbelief.

‘As I said Princess, there is nothing I haven’t already seen,’ he replied, turning his attention back to his phone.

‘Yes but that was before you fucking slept with my mother,’ she muttered, giving up and dragging the covers off of herself and raising gracefully from the bed and stalking towards her closet. She didn’t realise how Jasper had frozen in place at her remark and how his face had briefly twisted in pain and disgust at himself. He had stupidly thought for a moment that they may be able to get past that hurdle but clearly he had been mistaken and he couldn’t blame her, he knew he had caused her pain. She had nearly trusted him and he had completely betrayed her and he knew that was something she would likely never forget. He realised that he was getting too comfortable being around her again, as if they could revert to their former ‘relationship’ and he knew the only way to stop himself making that mistake was to try to supress his emotions and return to being a bodyguard figure again, there purely for her protection, even if this time it wasn’t official.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!
> 
> I'd love to know your thoughts!


	3. Time to Grieve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.

Eleanor felt completely worn out. It had been 3 days since her father’s death and since then she had spent most of her time trying to hold back tears. Her mother had made all of the funeral arrangements immediately, sticking to royal protocol and organising everything in a way that would reflect the family in the best light. The queen had decided that she was going to be the one giving any speeches or interviews about her husband’s death as she claimed she could no longer trust her children not to ‘make a spectacle’ of the family after Liam went off script following Robert’s death.

On the one hand Eleanor was glad that she hadn’t been given more responsibility so she didn’t have to hold everything together all the time but on the other hand she felt sad knowing her father’s funeral was going to be entirely based on tradition, the opposite of what she knew he would have wanted. She was now sitting with her family as her mother and Ted discussed the order of the funeral, where to stand and when, and how to ensure that no one was at risk in case her father’s attacker tried to strike again. She’d stopped paying attention as soon as her mother had started talking about where would be best to stand so the cameras could get a good picture of the grieving family.

‘Eleanor!’ the sound of her brother’s voice pulled her away from her thoughts and she tried to focus on her brother’s face. ‘Hey Lenny, are you okay?’ he asked her gently as he lightly shook her shoulders.

‘Yeah I’m okay,’ she replied, trying to reassure him with a weak smile. ‘This whole thing is ridiculous, dad dies and mother doesn’t even shed one tear.’

‘If you have something to say about the way I’m handling things Eleanor then speak up and say it,’ her mother barked, turning to stare at Eleanor with distain in her eyes.

‘Okay mother,’ Eleanor replied, her voice icy cool, ‘You and I both know this isn’t about dad, that none of the plans you have made are what he would want. This is just another way for you to promote the monarchies image. You don’t care at all about dad, this is all about you.’

‘You stupid brat, you just don’t get it do you?’ her mother spat back. ‘I’ve spent my life perfecting the image of this family and I’m not going to let all of that go to waste just because your father has died. We must ensure the monarchy and this family are presented in the best way possible to ensure our survival. You know without royalty you have nothing.’

‘You mean you have nothing. You and I both know that Lucius and Ted can handle publicity, that being royal doesn’t stop a wife from being able to grieve over the death of her husband.’ Eleanor replied steadily, refusing to back down as her mother tried to belittle her.

‘The Queen of England doesn’t have time to grieve,’ her mother retorted as she turned and stalked out of the room, Ted following carefully behind her.

‘Eleanor darling, you know how delicate the monarchy is at the moment,’ her grandmother chimed in, ‘and although I love seeing anyone stand up to Helena we both know she’s only trying to protect the family, even if she’s not very good at it.’ Eleanor slowly looked up to meet her grandmother’s gaze and gave a slow nod.

‘Okay, fine. Let her control everything. I just wish someone would take a minute to think about dad and what he would want,’ she whispered, a single tear managing to escape her eye and trail slowly down her cheek. She closed her eyes to try and blink back the remaining tears and felt Liam’s arms wrap around her shoulders. While his hold felt reassuring she knew that there was another set of arms she would rather be wrapped in.  
‘I’ll talk to mum Len, try to get her to think more of dad,’ Liam murmured next to her. She understood that funerals for royalty had to be carried out mostly under protocol and she knew Liam would be wasting his breath trying to negotiate with their mother to even change a fraction of the proceedings.

‘Thanks Liam.’ She suddenly felt like all of her energy had drained away and she felt overwhelmed by exhaustion and grief. ‘I’m going to go to bed,’ she said as she pushed herself up from the couch and gave her grandmother a quick peck on the cheek. As she slowly began walking down the hallway to her room Jasper fell into step beside her and she could sense her other bodyguard walking a few paces behind.

Jasper had watched Eleanor carefully throughout the day from the corner of the room, where he stood beside her bodyguard. He had seen how her shoulders had slowly dropped throughout the day, her back slouching and eyes becoming glazed over regularly with a vacant expression. He knew she must be exhausted, she had barely slept in the last few days, spending the nights tossing and turning in bed for hours before finally drifting off, only to wake up before sunrise. She was trying to hold it together for her brother’s sake and today had been the first outburst she’d had. He was surprised at how well she was coping so far and he felt almost proud of her inner strength. She was continuing with her usual routine and while there were times where she would retreat inside herself briefly she was still herself for the most part. He’d been wrong when he said there was only 2 ways this could go. She hadn’t turned to drugs and drink, but she also hadn’t completely closed herself off. Surprisingly she had remained herself.

Once they had entered her room Eleanor sat down carefully on the edge of her bed and pulled her shoes off before falling backwards to lie on the bed with a sigh. Jasper slowly edged his way towards her and asked, ‘can I get you anything?’ Eleanor propped herself up on her elbows in the bed.

‘Do you remember what happened after you the last time you asked me that?’ she breathed, reminding him of the time she had gotten him arrested. Seeing his slightly startled expression she quickly sat up. ‘No I’m fine, I think I’m just going to go to bed,’ she replied quickly, trying to change the subject. She stood and brushed past Jasper to enter her closet to change and once inside she shook her head. Ever since the morning after her father’s death Jasper had reverted back to being her bodyguard, which was weird considering he was no longer employed to do so. She had expected him to leave as soon as he could but for some reason she couldn’t quite fathom, he’d stayed. But, he no longer joked with her or made fun of her, he hardly came near her and that serious, staid expression barely ever left his face. Maybe it was because of the comment she had made about her mother she thought to herself but that didn’t make any sense. She had gotten angry about that before and he had responded every time, either trying to defend himself or trying to get her to forget about it. Why had this time been any different? She wanted the old Jasper back, needed him. She needed the distraction of his humour, the way he constantly antagonised her, she needed his embrace, as much as she hated to admit it to even herself.

When she had returned from her closet in her skimpiest pyjamas, Jasper was already laid on the sofa with his arms above his head. Every night he had slept in the same position, laid back on the sofa with his head resting on one of her pillows at an angle so that he had a clear view of Eleanor’s bed. He slept without his shirt and jacket but always kept on his trousers and socks and Eleanor knew he mustn’t be comfortable, his long lean body barely fitting onto the lounger.

She watched as Jaspers eyes followed her across the room, a sparkle appearing in his eyes which she knew meant he was feeling aroused. She felt pleasure radiate through her at the knowledge that he still wanted her but quickly tried to supress it.

‘Surely you aren’t comfortable sleeping there?’ She asked him as she clambered into her bed.

Jasper opened his arms and smirked slightly at her, ‘compared to the beds in prison, this sofas the height of luxury.’

Eleanor rolled her eyes at him and settled into the mound of cushions on her bed, pulling the covers around her and closing her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	4. A Day of Goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.

‘Princess, it’s time to wake up.’

Eleanor let out a soft, disgruntled groan at being disrupted from her first deep sleep in days and shifted so that her arms covered her face.

It was then she heard a soft, familiar chuckle and her whole body tensed. Slowly moving her arms away from her face she allowed her eyes to open. Sat on the edge of her bed and leaning over her was Jasper. His hair was slightly damp from showering and he smelled clean and fresh, dressed in a soft grey jumper and jeans. He was so close she could almost feel his breath and she shut her eyes again rapidly in panic. She wasn’t sure she could control herself with him this close.

‘No Princess, don’t go back to sleep,’ there was that chuckle again. She felt his hands pulling the covers away from her face and she stilled when she felt the electric touch of one of his fingers softly moving a strand of hair away from her face. She couldn’t think straight and she wasn’t sure how to react, the fog of sleep having not fully lifted. Maybe this was a dream?

‘It’s the day of the funeral,’ Jasper whispered quietly.

It was like someone had just thrown cold water over her - she was awake. The desire that had been pulsing through her veins only a moment ago suddenly drained away and her mind came into clear focus. Pain hit her in the centre of her chest and she inhaled sharply, her eyes opening wide. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and watched as Jasper eased himself off the bed and took a few steps backwards, as if he had sensed her sudden change in mood.

‘What time is it?’ she demanded.

‘Nearly half past 10,’ he replied instantly, ‘the Queen has requested that all members of the family be downstairs by half 11 at the latest.’

‘Requested? That doesn’t sound like my mother, I’m sure it was more of a demand.’ She muttered, throwing the rest of the covers off of herself and climbing out of the bed. As she showered and dressed she tried to focus on breathing normally and building her strength, she knew she was going to need it for today.

8 hours later Eleanor pulled her black, jewelled fascinator from her head and hurled it across her room before roughly dragging her hands through her hair and letting out a great sigh. She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes for the thousandth time that week, but they were no longer for sadness. No, these tears were in anger.

The whole day had been completely in mockery of her father. Rather than talking about her dad’s qualities as a husband and father, it had focussed entirely on his work as king. She knew her father would have despised it. He was so much more than just a king born into a life of luxury and today was the one day that that should have been portrayed.

Cyrus had given a speech to the press, not about his sadness at losing his only brother, but about how this was a tragedy the monarchy could overcome. An event that would allow the ‘resilience and strength of the monarchy to be proven’. He made Eleanor sick; the whole day had infuriated her. Her mother had ignored Liam and Eleanor all day, apart from to remind them not to speak unless instructed to do so, of course.

She wanted to take a long, hot bath and have a strong drink. Eleanor strode into her closet and undressed, throwing her clothes over a nearby stool.

‘Princess?’ She heard his voice from inside her wardrobe and hastily grabbed a thin dressing gown to cover herself before returning to her room. She hadn’t seen Jasper since this morning and she had wondered where he had been.

‘Where have you been all day?’ She demanded as she made her way into her room, before she had even had the chance to look at him. But, once she did she stopped in her tracks. He was dressed as he had been this morning but now he had a jacket draped across his arm, a duffle bag across one shoulder and a suitcase in his other hand.

‘The Queen banned me from the funeral,’ he replied slowly. ‘How was it? Are you okay?’  
Eleanor ignored his questions, still staring at the suitcase. ‘Where are you going?’

Jasper took a deep breath and avoided her gaze. ‘I’m going back to Las Vegas, I’ve got my old security job back.’

‘What, you’ve got everything you wanted out of me, and my mother, and so now you’re going to disappear?’ She almost spat at him. In a way he was glad she was annoyed, it would make it easier for him to walk away compared to if she had been hurt and upset.  
‘No, Princess, I need a job. In case you haven’t realised people generally need a job to get the money they need to survive and since you had me arrested I can no longer be employed as your bodyguard. Las Vegas is one of the only places you can work where they don’t care if you have imprisonment for treason on your file.’

He watched as she digested what he had just said and he saw the annoyance drain from her features. ‘I thought that the treason charges would be removed from your file once I dropped the charges?’

‘It’s not as simple as that Princess,’ he responded, almost patronisingly.

‘Well I guess you know more about security files than I do, after all you did make your own fake one.’

He smiled at her then, ‘You’ll be fine on your own Princess, you don’t need me around. You’re strong enough to handle any one who gets in your way.’

‘I don’t need anyone,’ she retorted almost instantly, a brief smile crossing her face.

Letting go of the suitcase and stepping forward until they were inches apart, Jasper whispered softly, ‘I’ll miss you Princess’.

Eleanor sucked in a deep breath as he reached over and placed a kiss on her forehead. She was too stunned and confused to respond so she had no choice but to simply stand and watch meekly as he collected his things and walked out of her room and out of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	5. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.

Eleanor bolted upright in bed, sweat making her skin clammy and causing the covers to stick to her. She tried to get her breathing under control as her eyes scanned the room and adjusted to the brightness. This was the third time this week she had the same nightmare: where the guy she had met under the bridge came to the palace to get her, taunting her about how Jasper couldn’t save her now because he had already killed him, just as he had killed her brother. Every time she woke up as the hooded man pounced her, just as she caught sight of Jasper’s crumbled body in the hallway.

She shook her head fiercely, trying to dispel memories of the bad dream. After a few moments of failing to think about anything else she groaned and leapt out of bed. This was getting ridiculous. Jasper had been gone nearly 4 weeks and ever since this nightmare had been haunting her.

During the days she was fine. Yes, she missed having him around to tease and torment, but she was strong and she was coping well, focusing on helping her brother to try and find out more about their fathers attacker. It was at night when she struggled, not that she was going to admit that to anyone. She spent hours tossing and turning trying to get to sleep, only to be awoken abruptly every morning before dawn. But now she’d had enough, she wasn’t going to just sit around and hope the dreams would go away one day.

Eleanor got dressed hastily, not bothering to do anything with her hair or wipe off her smudged eye makeup. She flew open the doors to her room and marched to the other end of the palace. Once at the elevator she turned and commanded her bodyguard to wait there for her before making her way up to the Pryce apartment.

Ted was sitting at his desk reading a file when the elevator doors opened to reveal the dishevelled Princess. Looking at his watch in confusion he stood up slowly, concerned as to why Eleanor was standing in his living room at 6am.

Eleanor looked as if she was going to speak before closing her mouth, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to think of the words to say.

‘Are you okay Princess? Is there a problem?’ Ted asked her cautiously.

Straightening up, fresh determination in her eyes, she replied, ‘I’m fine, there’s no problem. I just need to talk to you.’

Nodding steadily the King’s head of security indicated for Eleanor to take a seat before lowering himself back into his chair. ‘Go ahead, I’m listening.’

‘When Jasper left, did he say where he was going?’ she asked, trying to sound indifferent.  
‘Yes.’ Ted responded simply before catching the interest that sparkled in the Princesses eyes, ‘but of course I can’t tell you that information. It’s strictly confidential.’

Eyes narrowing in annoyance Eleanor stared at Ted, ‘but has he returned to Las Vegas?’  
Shifting uncomfortably in his seat under her harsh stare, Ted eventually nodded. ‘He has returned back to his previous job, yes. But that’s as much as I can say Princess.’

Sitting back in her chair and relaxing her gaze Eleanor gave him a wide smile. ‘Thank you, I just wanted to check if he was lying or not. But that’s not the main reason I came to see you. I want to go on a trip to New York to see Ophelia. Do you think you could arrange that?’  
Taken aback by Eleanor’s change of tone Ted beamed at the Princess. ‘Yes of course! I’m sure Ophelia would love to see you, I’ll speak to her and-‘

Cutting him off Eleanor interrupted, ‘I’ll speak to Ophelia, I just need you to arrange the flight. I would like to go as soon as possible.’

Standing up and fastening his suit jacket Ted nodded again, picking up his phone. ‘I’ll get right to it.’ As he walked out of the room to make a phone call Eleanor quickly moved around to the other side of the desk, sighing in relief that he was still logged on to his computer. Trying to be as quiet as possible she opened Jasper’s file and scrolled through until she found an attachment for his reference. Pulling her phone out of her pocket she copied down the casino’s address and closed down the computer, hurrying back to the elevator.

2 days later Eleanor was sitting on the Royal jet flying over Manhattan on her way to visit Ophelia, or at least that’s what everyone thought.

‘I need to use the bathroom,’ Eleanor told her bodyguard as they entered the airport terminal. ‘Wait here.’ She began to make her way through the crowds of people when her bodyguard grabbed her arm and tried to stop her.

‘Seriously, you’re going to stop me from going to the toilet now?’ She asked, staring at the tall, bulky man. ‘I need to use the restroom so that’s exactly what I am going to do. You will see me going into and coming out of the bathroom, it’s not like someone is going to manage to smuggle me out without you knowing! Now let go of me.’ She demanded, narrowing her eyes menacingly at the guard.

She turned away from him and walked into the toilets, entering one of the little cubicles. She let out a small sigh of disgust as she looked at the unclean floor but knew that she didn’t have time to worry about it. Quickly, she pulled out a pair of faded jeans and a blue t shirt from her bag and got changed, removing all her jewellery and using a wipe to clean all the makeup from her face. She exchanged her expensive, heeled boots for the pair of old trainers she had ‘borrowed’ from Ophelia and hurriedly tied her thick, dark hair into a ponytail. She unfolded a large duffle bag that she had kept hidden and stuffed all of her belongings inside it, including her leather bag.

As she emerged from the cubicle she caught sight of herself in one of the bathroom mirrors and her eyes widened in shock. She barely even recognised herself; she looked like a typical student tourist. Trying not to draw any attention to herself she followed a group of girls out of the toilets and walked straight past her security guard who didn’t even bat an eyelid. She hastily passed the girls in front of her and made her way out towards the departure gates, clutching her ticket tightly in her hand. A huge smile broke out onto her face as the airport assistant approved her passport and she was ushered onto the waiting plane- her plan had worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	6. Reunion

He was slowly walking around the centre of the casino, watching the varying expressions of gamblers as they won and lost sums of money large enough to make his eyes water, when he heard it. He stopped in his tracks as the word reverberated around his head but he knew there was no way he could have actually heard it. His mind must be playing tricks on him, which wasn’t surprising given how little sleep he’d had since he had left the palace. Shaking his head to dispel the sound of her voice he continued moving forward.

‘Jasper!’ There it was again, the voice that he hadn’t heard in weeks. ‘So are you just going to ignore me now Jasper?’

He spun around hastily and came face to face with the Princess as his heart rate began to soar. Eleanor smirked at him as he stood frozen, his shock evident on his face.

‘Princess?’ he whispered, so quietly she nearly missed it.

‘Good to see you too, Jasper,’ she replied, taking a step towards him.

Jasper quickly recovered from his shock and his usual serious expression returned to his face. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked her, a slight hint of confusion evident in his voice. He watched as the self-assured smirk disappeared from Eleanor’s face and her brows furrowed over her shimmering emerald eyes.

‘I… erm…’ Eleanor wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing here if she was honest, she had just had the sudden urge to see Jasper again but she couldn’t tell him that. ‘Well I wanted a break from the palace and I knew you were here so…’ She paused, not sure how to continue.

Now it was Jasper’s turn to smirk, as he sauntered closer to her with a cocky glint in his eyes. ‘Have you missed me Princess?’

Eleanor scoffed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. ‘Don’t flatter yourself Jasper!’ she retorted, meeting his eyes before quickly changing the subject. ‘So are you going to show me where you’re staying or not? I need to freshen up and drop off my bag.’

Jasper blinked and it took his mind a moment to catch up with what she was saying. She wanted to stay with him? Surely the palace had already organised a place for her to stay?   
‘Where is your bodyguard going to stay? Don’t you already have a hotel room booked?’

Eleanor’s eyes dropped suddenly, a slight flush creeping into her cheeks, something he had very rarely seen. She was purposely trying to avoid his gaze and he couldn’t understand why. He took a moment to really look at her and realised that she looked different. She was definitely still the Princess in personality, but not in appearance. She had no makeup on, her face looking bare compared to usual and she was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt, nothing like her usual style. A pair of well-worn trainers were on her feet and this surprised him the most, he couldn’t ever remember seeing her without a pair of ridiculously high heels on. As he began to raise his eyes he noticed that she had hold of her own suitcase, an even stranger site, and he looked behind her, scanning the crowd for her bodyguard.

‘Where is your bodyguard?’ he questioned as panic began rising in his throat.

‘I don’t know, probably still stood outside the toilets at JFK airport waiting for me,’ she answered cockily, a look of achievement crossing her face.

Jasper crossed the space between them and stopped mere inches in front of her. ‘Are you trying to tell me that you have made your own way here without a bodyguard?’ he asked, anger radiating from him. ‘Do you realise how much danger you’ve just put yourself in, anything could have happened to you!’

Eleanor was surprised at his response, she knew Jasper would be annoyed at her for leaving herself unprotected, but she didn’t expect him to be furious at her, his whole body shaking with anger. She had never seen him this close to losing control and she didn’t know whether she should be scared by his reaction or touched that he still clearly cares for her safety. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to happen once she turned up unexpected at the hotel, but this wasn’t it.

‘I can look after myself,’ she said fiercely, repeating the words she had said to him at their first meeting. ‘I knew I was going to see you when I got here and so I didn’t see why I would need an official bodyguard as well, following me around meekly.’

Jasper let out a sigh and tried to reign in his emotions. He grabbed her arm and stalked towards the elevators at the back of the room, muttering an excuse about being needed upstairs as he passed one of his colleagues. Once they were inside one of the lifts and the doors had closed he released his hold on her arm and turned to face her, a thought suddenly popping into his head.

‘You said you left your bodyguard at JFK airport, but why were you in New York when you could have just come straight here?’ he queried, his brows furrowing in confusion and as Eleanor tried to turn away from him he realised she was not telling him the whole truth.  
‘The palace thinks I caught a flight to New York to visit Ophelia, they don’t know I had another ticket booked too,’ she muttered. ‘There was no way they would let me come to Las Vegas knowing there was a man previously arrested for treason working here. If they had let me they would have sent 4 bodyguards with me and I wouldn’t have had a moment to myself. For once I just wanted to be able to do what I wanted without having to ask for permission.’

Jaspers eyebrows rose and his eyes widened in disbelief, ‘so no one knows you are here?’  
‘Well no, apart from you,’ she replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.   
Jasper couldn’t help feeling slightly proud of her even if what she had done was extremely dangerous. She had decided she wanted to do something and she had done it, she was definitely more able than she was given credit for.

He watched as her eyes caught his, her sudden fear apparent. ‘Please don’t tell them where I am, not yet. I’ll let them know in a few days but before that I just want some time to myself.’

Jasper understood how she felt and despite his better judgement he agreed to keep her secret. He stepped closer to her and closed the space between them, so close their breaths mingled.

Eleanor stood still as Jasper moved towards her, not strong willed enough to push him away. She felt the atmosphere crackle with electricity and her whole body tensed.

‘I’m glad you are safe,’ Jasper whispered into her ear before moving to meet her gaze for a few seconds before the lift doors opened with a soft ping and they moved apart from each other, Jasper regaining his serious expression and upright posture that was so familiar. He strode out of the elevator and down the hallway and Eleanor had no choice but to follow behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	7. Stubborn

Jasper opened one of the doors and led her into his room. It was only small but fitted with the luxurious feel of the hotel. The far wall was covered entirely by floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the strip, which was now lit up in all its glory as darkness was beginning to fall. There was a dresser with a large television opposite the double bed covered in expensive quilting and pillows and a small sofa was positioned in front of a low coffee table facing the window.

‘Nice room,’ Eleanor said as she placed her bag on the end of the bed and turned to face Jasper.

‘One of the perks of the job,’ he replied, a glint in his eyes, ‘but the bed is certainly not as comfortable as your bed at the palace.’ Eleanor took a sharp intake of breath as Jasper winked at her and memories of their time in her bed together came rushing back to her.

‘Look, I’m supposed to be working tonight but I’m going to see if I can get it off. Do you want to order something to eat while I go make a call?’ Jasper spoke, more ordering than asking as he indicated to a room service menu that was sitting on his bedside table.  
Eleanor simply nodded as he turned around and left the room, the door shutting heavily behind him. After flicking through the menu for a few minutes she followed the instructions on the phone and picked up the handset.

After ordering a bottle of wine and a chicken salad for herself, she was about to hang up when the woman on the other end of the line asked her, ‘so not the usual tonight? Wow, the kitchen staff have been making bets on how long it’d be before room 416 made a change to their order.’

Pausing, Eleanor kept the phone held to her ear. She hadn’t even asked Jasper if he wanted anything and come to think of it she had no idea what type of food he liked to eat. Intrigued Eleanor told the woman, ‘add the usual to the order as well then.’ After hanging up she grabbed her toiletries from her bag and began making her way towards the door that she presumed led to the bathroom to freshen up.

When she entered the bathroom she immediately noticed the little row of bottles on the edge of the sink next to a small, brown leather toiletry bag. Slowly she ran her fingers over the bottles and read the labels: face wash, hair gel and shampoo.   
Smiling to herself Eleanor concentrated on brushing her teeth and washing her face before quickly applying a layer of mascara – she felt bare without it. Just as she was about to go back into the bedroom she caught sight of another bottle she hadn’t seen before and she hesitated slightly before reaching to pick it up. It was a beautiful, glass bottle of cologne and before she even realised what she was doing she had removed the large green lid and had moved the bottle to your nose. Taking a deep breath Eleanor inhaled deeply and felt her hairs stand on end as images of Jasper flooded her mind and she shivered with desire. She’d missed his smell.

‘Princess?’ Jasper’s bewildered question was the first thing that alerted Eleanor to his presence and she quickly spun around to face him, putting the bottle down and trying to fasten the lid with unsteady fingers. He was leaning against the bathroom door, his stance relaxed and his face lit up with a smile. ‘Looking for something?’

Tucking her own bag under her arm she tried to act nonchalant, but her fingers were still quivering and her heart was racing. ‘No, I’m good,’ she replied, brushing past him to move back into the bedroom.

Just then a loud knock on the door drew both of their attention and Jasper moved to open the door.

‘Hey Marnie, isn’t Nick working tonight?’ he asked the woman who was stood outside the room with a large tray covered with a silver lid.

The woman scoffed and rolled her eyes, ‘Nick doesn’t know the meaning of work! Here take this, your wine is in the bucket,’ she added, nodding to an ice bucket next to her.   
Taking the tray Jasper replied, ‘thanks Marnie, add the extra charge to my bill.’

As the lady began walking away she said over her shoulder, ‘Will do Jasper. Enjoy the wine; I didn’t think you liked anything other than bourbon!’

Laughing, Jasper turned to hand the tray to Eleanor but immediately tensed when he saw her standing with her hands on her hips, a stern look on her face. ‘Are you going to take this or is that too much for you, Princess?’ he drawled, extending his arms to her.

Snatching the tray from his grip she spoke in a snappy voice, ‘so is Marnie your next blackmail victim or is she just your girlfriend?’

Letting out a deep sigh Jasper grabbed the ice bucket and let the door slam behind him as he moved over to the little table. ‘She’s neither Princess, don’t worry. I thought we’d got over the whole blackmail thing, you know there wasn’t a video.’ When Eleanor opened her mouth to give a quick retort Jasper cut her off, ‘even if I wanted a girlfriend I don’t have time for one. I’ve worked almost every day since I got here and when I’m not working I’m usually sleeping.’

Eleanor relaxed her stance and sank down onto the sofa. She looked over at him as he removed the food from the tray and noticed for the first time the big black circles around his eyes. ‘You look exhausted, are they over working you?’ she asked with concern, all traces of anger gone.

‘That’s because I am exhausted,’ Jasper replied, handing her the salad. ‘No, they aren’t over working me, I’m over working myself.’

‘Why?’ Eleanor asked him incredulously.

‘Firstly, because I need the money and secondly, because it’s a good way to take my mind off of other things. It distracts me from thoughts of you and England and the monarchy,’ he said slowly.

Clearing her throat Eleanor stared at him in confusion, ‘if that’s what you were thinking about why didn’t you just call me?’

‘They wipe your phone when you leave the palace security in case you’ve got any contacts or information that you might try to sell or share with the wrong people. It’s an added safety measure they’ve introduced since the King’s death. If you’re not on the list you can’t make contact with members of the monarchy so there was no way for me to get in touch. I even tried contacting Ted just to see if everything was okay but he wouldn’t tell me anything except that there have been no further injuries.’

As Jasper sat down next to her, Eleanor noticed the chicken burger and fries on his plate and smiled, ‘I’d have imagined you as more of a steak man.’

‘Growing up in America you can quickly get bored of fast food and great slabs of meat,’ Jasper chuckled.

Jasper and Eleanor ate in silence as she tried to digest the new information Jasper had given. For some reason it pleased Eleanor to know that he hadn’t been in contact because he couldn’t, not because he didn’t want to.

After a while Eleanor’s eyes were drawn to Jasper as he tried to supress a yawn, reaching his hand up to cover his mouth. It was weird for her to see him in his own surroundings rather than in hers and to see him more relaxed. The room was almost bare but it still held more of Jasper’s possessions than she had ever seen before and she had a strange feeling like she was intruding, something she had never felt before.

‘Have you finished?’ Jasper asked her, bringing her out of her thoughts suddenly.  
Eleanor was simply left to sit and watch as Jasper cleared everything back onto the plate and left it outside for the cleaners.

‘I’ve got to get up early for work so I’m going to go to bed,’ Jasper told her when he returned. Turning to face him, Eleanor quickly turned her head away as she caught sight of him removing his suit. Climbing into the bed in just his underwear Jasper laughed gently, knowing she hadn’t turned away in shyness but to prevent the resurfacing of certain memories.

‘Do you have a blanket or something I can use?’ she asked him, trying and failing to hide the rough desire from her voice.

Turning over in the bed to face her, Jasper gaze her a questioning glance, ‘for what?’

Rolling her eyes as if it was obvious Eleanor spoke harshly, regaining her icy composure, ‘well clearly you’re sleeping in the bed so that leaves me the couch and I’d be nice to have some form of bedding.’

Reaching over Jasper grabbed one of the pillows from the bed and hurled it towards her. As it hit her legs Jasper replied, ‘there, that’s all there is. I can’t believe you’re being so stubborn.’

‘You lost your right to sleep in the same bed with me when you slept with my mother.’ Eleanor responded with scorn.

‘Suit yourself, but we both know you’re only sleeping there because you don’t think you’ll be able to control yourself sleeping next to me. If you hate me as much as you claim then why are you here?’ Jasper asked with a smirk.

‘Good night Jasper,’ Eleanor answered as she lay down on the sofa, cutting the conversation short and ignoring his jibes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	8. Sharing

Jasper bolted up right in his bed, the piercing sound of Eleanor’s screams ringing in his ears. Dozens of images raced through his head at what he might see when he turned on the light, most of them involving some sort of attacker and lots of crimson blood. His fingers shook as he reached for the button on the base of the lamp.

Once the room was illuminated in a soft yellow glow his eyes quickly rested on the sofa and he was relieved to see that there was no one else in the room. Hastily flinging his legs out of the bed he rushed over to where her body was crumpled up on the couch, her arms flailing wildly as she continued to shout.

‘Eleanor?’ Jasper asked in a low voice laced with anxiety as he crouched down beside her. When she didn’t respond Jasper reached out to place his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently, repeating her name again as he realised that she was in the midst of a nightmare.

She flicked her eyes open suddenly and gasped in a few shaky breaths as the fog of sleep cleared from her mind. Glancing around she tried to regain her bearings, running a shaky hand across her face to calm herself.

‘Hey, I’m here. You’re okay,’ Jasper murmured reassuringly, running a hand soothingly up and down her arm. It was only then that Eleanor met his gaze and immediately she felt calmer, as if she was finally safe. He reached out to move a stray curl away from her face and smiled gently when she nodded softly. Her skin was clammy beneath his touch but it still sent a spark of awareness rushing up his arm.

‘Sorry, it was just a nightmare,’ Eleanor began; flustered by the fact that she had shown such weakness to Jasper. ‘I’m fine.’

Sensing her unease Jasper straightened and cleared his throat, why was the shimmer of her eyes affecting him so much? ‘Why don’t you sleep in the bed, you look exhausted and I’m sure you’ll get a better sleep.’

Eleanor opened her mouth to object but before she could say anything Jasper interjected, ‘that wasn’t supposed to be a question. Get into the bed Princess.’

As she stood slowly and made her way over to the bed Jasper reached for the pillow that was now crumpled on the sofa and moved it so he could lie down with his head resting on it. As he did he smelt the fragrance of her shampoo which had transferred onto the material, the fruity aroma filling his nostrils and clouding his brain.

Eleanor clambered into the bed as she watched Jasper settle onto the couch, guilt welling up inside her. Being so close to him unnerved her, but for some reason that she couldn’t pinpoint, Jasper still made her feel safer than anyone else in the world and right now she needed that to make the nightmares go away. ‘You don’t have to sleep on the sofa; I don’t want to force you out of your own bed. I’ll just stick to my side,’ she murmured, adding in her head _‘and you stick to yours.’_

Jasper felt pleasure radiate inside him as he heard her say that. Being able to sleep next to her felt like he had won some small victory, as if they were one step closer to being how they once were. As if Eleanor was one step closer to trusting him.

As he eased himself into the bed he was careful not to get too close to Eleanor or to touch her accidentally – he didn’t want her thinking he was trying to take advantage.   
They both lay on their backs, staring up at the ceiling in silence for a while before Jasper asked her gently, ‘what was the dream about?’

Sighing Eleanor replied dully, trying to dismiss the subject, ‘it’s nothing. The guy we met under the bridge is in it and he’s trying to kill me and there is no one who can help me. I’ve had it a few times, I’m used to it.’

Turning to face her Jasper nearly reached out a hand to touch her arm before thinking better of it. ‘You’re safe here, you know that right? You’re safe with me,’ he murmured urgently.

Nodding steadily Eleanor kept her focus on the high ceiling. ‘I know.’

Jasper was surprised at her admission. He thought he would have to try and convince her that he was going to protect her, but knowing that she knew that instinctively relieved him. Furrowing his brows in confusion he asked her in a whisper, ‘why are you here?’

When Eleanor heard his question she stiffened unconsciously. Wasn’t that the question she had asked him before he’d been arrested? She considered whether or not to be truthful for a few moments, but thoughts of that day caused tears to prick in her eyes and she knew he wouldn’t believe her if she lied. ‘In the dream you’re dead,’ she whispered, still avoiding his gaze. ‘I wanted to see you to make sure you were okay, I thought being here might make the nightmares stop.’

Jasper opened his mouth to respond but couldn’t think of any words to say. Instead he pushed past this reservations and reached out to place his hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m glad you’re here. You can stay as long as you want.’

Without even realising it Eleanor had twined her fingers with Jaspers, feeling a sense of calmness running through her at being able to feel his presence. ‘Is this where you used to work?’ Eleanor asked him curiously.

‘No, I’ve worked in the Venetian and in the MGM Grand but never here. They are larger hotels and I wanted to work somewhere a bit more low key for a while,’ Jasper replied honestly. ‘How did you know I was here?’

‘I looked in your files on Ted’s computer and found an address on your reference.’

‘Ted promised he’d give me a good reference to help me get back on my feet here, I owe him a lot. He didn’t have to give me one.’ Jasper told her, gratitude evident in his voice as he smiled.

‘Did you live nearby when you were younger?’ she continued, surprised at how much information Jasper was revealing.

As soon as she mentioned his childhood the smile fell from Jasper’s face and he turned away from her to stare back at the ceiling too. ‘No,’ he whispered eventually. ‘We couldn’t afford to live near the strip, not that my father would ever admit that. He claimed we chose not to live here because we didn’t want to mingle with the pretentious hotel owners and gamblers, but really it was because he needed to stay away from the security and police who knew my father’s face too well from all the ‘wanted’ posters.’

Eleanor wasn’t sure how to reply. She’d expected a one worded reply, for him to cut off the conversation before he revealed too much but instead he’d replied with the most honesty and openness he’d ever given her. She was surprised once again when he continued without any further encouragement, speaking in a quiet low voice as if he was talking to himself.

‘We lived in a tiny, dilapidated house for many years that was barely fit for human habitation after my father had lost most of his money on a stupid, risky gamble. Taylor tried to paint our room to make it look more homely but she ran out of paint before she’d even finished one wall,’ he murmured.

‘Taylor?’ Eleanor asked once he had finished. As soon as she asked she felt Jasper tense beside her, as if he knew he shouldn’t have mentioned him.

She heard Jasper take a deep breath before he spoke, his voice gruff. ‘My sister.’

Eleanor was taken aback, he had never mentioned any other family members apart from his parents. ‘Do you still speak to her?’ she asked inquisitively, wondering if she too had disowned Jasper.

‘No, she’s erm,’ Jasper stuttered, ‘she’d dead.’ Eleanor couldn’t hide her gasp of shock at his candid revelation.

‘I’m so sorry, Jasper,’ she whispered, squeezing his hand this time. ‘Why didn’t you say something? Everything with Robert must have been so much harder for you.’

Facing her again Eleanor saw determination in his tearful eyes. ‘No, I wanted to help with Robert. I want you to have closure on his death because I know how horrible it is to not know the truth.’

Puzzled Eleanor asked him, ‘what happened to your sister?’

‘A gang came round to our house one evening, my parents owed them money and they wanted to settle the debt. But they weren’t in. Taylor was babysitting me and she couldn’t keep them out. They tried to take me instead but Taylor stepped in and so they shot her. She died instantly.’

Eleanor’s heart ached for the young boy who had been forced to watch his sister die. The boy who had been abandoned by his parents for wanting to make something of himself.  
‘I knew right then that I didn’t want to be like my parents. I didn’t want to put people I love in danger, I wanted to be the one protecting them and keeping them safe. That’s when I decided I wanted to work in security. I didn’t have any loved ones of my own but I wanted to protect the ones loved by others.’

‘I can’t even imagine what you went through, but I know that you are nothing like your parents. Your sister would be proud of you.’ Eleanor whispered through her tears, which were now spilling out onto her pillow.

‘Thank you,’ Jasper murmured as he reached out to wipe Eleanor’s cheeks, ignoring his own tears. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so serious. I want you to trust me.’

‘Don’t apologise! I want to know you and that means the good and the bad. Thank you for telling me.’

Smiling weakly, Jasper turned around and turned off the bedside lamp so they were plunged into darkness. ‘You should get some sleep. Wake me up if you have another nightmare. Good night Princess.’

‘Good night Jasper,’ she replied softly as she clutched onto his hand.

This time when she fell asleep her dreams weren’t about hooded bad guys, but about a young, lonely boy with beautiful, shimmering blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	9. Blackjack

Yawning, Eleanor stretched out her legs in the bed and rubbed her eyes. Abruptly memories of the day before hit her like a wave and her eyes flung open. Turning in the bed she felt a sudden sense of panic when she saw the empty space beside her, the covers slightly ruffled.

Sitting up in bed she scanned the room, searching for him.

‘Good morning Princess.’ Hearing his voice Eleanor’s eyes flew to the bathroom door, which he was casually lounged against as he buttoned up his crisp, white shirt. Relief filled her but that knowledge made her feel vulnerable and she instinctively reached to pull the covers tighter around her.

Moving towards the wardrobe to collect his jacket Jasper rolled his eyes. Surely they had got past shyness by now? ‘I have to go to work,’ he began, ‘you need to stay in here.’  
‘I don’t need to do anything,’ Eleanor scoffed. ‘I can’t stay cooped up in here all day!’ she told him in a harsh tone. She was feeling unsettled after their intimate conversation last night and was trying to hide that behind her usual icy demeanour.

Jasper knew immediately what she was doing, he could see straight through the walls that she so regularly built around herself when she was feeling exposed. But he’d learnt not to push her when she did so, to revert back to the serious bodyguard. ‘You aren’t safe walking around without a guard,’ he told her, ‘you don’t know what type of people could be here.’

‘I can protect myself,’ she told him through clenched teeth.

‘It’s too dangerous,’ he responded, trying to contain his anger. The thought of her wandering around unprotected made him feel sick and he knew he would never forgive himself if anything happened to her. ‘Please, just stay here for one day,’ he continued in an almost pleading voice.

Eleanor was surprised to hear a hint of desperation in his voice and was unsettled to find it made her feel guilty. ‘Fine,’ she snapped.

‘I’ll be back by 8pm,’ he told her, immediately feeling much calmer. ‘You can order whatever you want from the kitchen.’ Pulling on his jacket he looked as if he was about to say something else but he remained silent. Instead he simply gave her a brief nod and left the room.

Feeling confused Eleanor fell back against the pillows in the bed and let out a long sigh. Last night she had learnt more about Jasper than she had in over 6 months and she had felt closer to him than she ever had before. Yet now she didn’t know how to act and it appeared neither did Jasper. Trying to push thoughts of Jasper away she reached for the bedside phone to order some coffee.

Hours later she threw the TV remote down on the bed in annoyance. She’d done everything she could think of to entertain herself including taking one of the longest showers of her life and watching numerous dull American chat show programmes. She’d even spent a while snooping through Jasper’s drawers, but had found almost nothing out of the ordinary.

The only unexpected item she had found was a collection of 4 rumpled newspaper clippings in the drawer beside the bed which were all about her family and their actions in the weeks following her father’s death. She had spent a long time reading and re-reading these and staring at the pictures she didn’t even remember having taken. It was clear to her that her mother had had the stories published as each one focussed on importance of the Monarchy.

The only article that seemed unusual was a small column written about her. Rather than slating something that she had done, the article was discussing how her attitude and behaviour had changed in the past few months and how she may perhaps just be a ‘young woman trying to find her way in life.’ She was extremely surprised by this, having never being called just ‘a young woman’ before. Usually it was a phrase preceded by troublesome or difficult when used to describe her.

She wasn’t sure why Jasper had kept these clippings but she doubted she would ever get the chance to ask him as it would reveal that she had been snooping. Once her lunch had arrived she had put the clippings back where she found them and had decided to avert her attention to something else, something that hopefully wouldn’t leave her feeling confused.  
Instead she was now feeling extremely bored, having run out of options of how to fill the rest of her day. Staring out the window she let out another sigh. Surely she could go out for an hour or so? She wouldn’t even have to leave the hotel. After spending a few minutes weighing up the pro’s and con’s in her head she rose from the bed and grabbed a jacket from her bag. She would only be gone for an hour; Jasper didn’t even have to know. The hotel was packed with security guards anyway; surely nothing could happen to her without one of them noticing? Grabbing one of the room keys and a small wad of dollar bills she had found earlier she strode from the room and closed the door behind her.

As she emerged from the lift on the ground floor she couldn’t help but smile as she saw the crowds of people around her, laughing and shouting as risked their luck on the array of machines and gambling tables. Sauntering over to one of the blackjack tables Eleanor took a seat beside a large, wealthy looking gentleman. As she was dealt in she felt a rush of adrenaline that she was out of her hotel room. Peeking at her hands she saw she had a pretty good hand and including the revealed card on the table they only totalled 14.   
‘Hit me,’ she told the dealer, trying to keep her face devoid of any emotion. As the dealer turned over the other card to reveal the 6 of hearts Eleanor was thrilled to see the gentleman beside her throw his cards down in annoyance as he went bust. She stayed at the table until she had enough money to go to the bar and buy a few drinks and still be able to give Jasper his money back.

Smiling to herself and proud of her achievement Eleanor slowly made her way to the bar she could see lit up at the other end of the room, enjoying being able to watch other people without them all watching her. Stepping into the decadent cocktail lounge she was pleased to see it was fairly quiet and she took a seat at one of the stools at the bar.  
Briefly looking at the menu on the wall her eye was immediately drawn to one cocktail in particular and she intrigued she ordered herself a Royal Paradise Punch. However, once it arrived she hadn’t even taken a sip before she felt a presence beside her.

‘Spending your blackjack winnings?’ a deep voice drawled. She turned her head to see a large, muscly man lower himself onto the stool next to her and slowly lowered her drink back onto the bar, groaning inwardly.

‘Excuse me?’ she asked cautiously, her hairs rising in panic as she realised this man must have been watching her.

‘Royal luck I suppose,’ the man muttered scornfully. ‘It’s not like you even need the money is it Princess but I’m sure things always come easily to you don’t they?’

Straightening in her seat Eleanor lifted her chin and stared, determined not to let this man intimidate her. ‘I don’t know what you are talking about,’ she responded.

‘Oh I think you do, Princess Eleanor Henstridge,’ the stranger replied, articulating each word of her name as if trying to prove his point that he knew exactly who she was.  
Standing up Eleanor continued to look at the man and told him in a strong voice, ‘I think you’ve got the wrong person.’ As she strode away from him and made her way to the elevator she tried to focus on steadying the shaking of her hands. It wasn’t until she was making her way down the hallway to her room that she managed to draw in a shaky breath.  
‘You didn’t pay for your drink.’ Eleanor’s eyes widened in alarm as she heard the same voice behind her that she had first heard barely 10 minutes prior and she halted in her tracks.

‘Don’t worry, I took care of it,’ he continued, a hint of smugness in his voice as if she should be pleased in hearing that.

Not wanting to face him again Eleanor started walking but the man continued, ‘it is very rude to walk away from someone who is trying to talk to you. I would have thought the palace would have taught you to have better manners.’

‘Maybe I was impossible to teach,’ she drawled, still with her back to him, ‘they’ve never been able to get me to fit into the mould of the perfect princess.’ She had barely finished speaking when she heard an incredibly loud bang that made her jump. She heard the noise of the shot long before she felt the pain of the bullet in the top of her arm near her shoulder blade.

Gasping she instinctively reached her hand up to cover the open wound, blood seeping onto her fingers as the ringing in her ears continued. She had no choice but to lean against the wall for support as the pain made tears spring into her eyes and to her disgust the man who had just shot her moved next to her and whispered in her ear, ‘that wasn’t where I was aiming but I guess it’ll do, it can serve as a warning. You win this time, but next time you might not be so lucky.’

Closing her eyes to try and block out her pain she could simply mutter profanities at him as the man disappeared down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	10. Gunshot Wounds

Trying to supress her panic and anger Eleanor tried to focus on what to do now. She felt dizzy and lightheaded as warm, sticky blood oozed out of the wound on her arm. She had left her phone on the Royal plane to ensure that the palace couldn’t track her location and she had no choice but to go back to Jasper’s room before someone else saw her.

It took her longer than she would have liked to stumble back to the room and she let out a loud shout of pain as she had to twist her arm backwards to pull the room key out of the black pocket of her black jeans without taking her other hand off of the wound.

Once inside the room she had to stop to take a few deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart and to blink away the tears that the pain had caused to form in her eyes. Glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside able she groaned when she realised it only read 18:06 – Jasper wouldn’t be back for another 2 hours and she knew she had to do something about her arm before then.

Staggering over to the chest of drawers Eleanor tugged at one of the handles but to her dismay she couldn’t even get one of the drawers open an inch using only one hand. Flustered now she scanned the room hastily, looking for some sort of material she could wrap around her arm to try and stem the bleeding. Eyes resting on the bed she grabbed one of the feather pillows and shook it until it fell out of the pillow case and landed on the floor with a soft thud.

Gritting her teeth to try and stop herself shouting in pain again she did her best to wrap the linen case around her arm and let out a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding when she moved her hand away and to her relief the material stayed in place.   
Eleanor knew she had no choice but to try and find Jasper and so reluctantly she used the hotel phone to dial reception. Trying to hide the panic from her voice she asked the woman who answered, ‘I’m looking for a member of your security team, Jasper Frost?’

Stammering slightly, as if she was surprised by her request the lady answered, ‘I’m sorry but he is on duty at the moment. Can I take a message?’

Anxiety rising Eleanor’s voice rose in pitch, ‘It’s an emergency.’

‘Well is it anything another member of security can help you with? We take the safety of our guests very seriously-‘ the woman began, her voice calm and professional.

‘Please,’ Eleanor interrupted, no longer able to hide her fear, ‘It really has to be him. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.’ Cringing inwardly at the desperation in her voice Eleanor was relieved when the woman paused for a second.

‘Hold on one minute, I’ll see if I can find him,’ she replied, sensing Eleanor’s frantic tone. A few moments later the woman returned, ‘I’m not supposed to divulge this type of information but he is currently working on security for a wedding function.’ As she described the location of the room Eleanor tried her best to concentrate on the directions she was being given.

After thanking the woman she hung up the phone, hastily grabbing one of Jasper’s suit jackets and wrapping it around her shoulders to try and cover the sight of her make shift bandage and the blood covering her arm.

Trying to suppress a yawn Jasper watched the groom twirling his new wife around the dance floor and was surprised to feel a hint of envy at how happy they both looked together. HE found himself having to squeeze his eyes shut briefly to try and dispel the memories of him and Eleanor dancing at the masquerade ball that filled his mind. Once he reopened his eyes he caught sight of one of the drunken bridesmaids and just managed to step forward and catch her before she fell out of her chair.

As the young woman clung to him and wrapped her arms around her neck he tried to hide his annoyance as she practically purred at him, ‘wow, you’re my hero!’

Trying to close his nose to block out the smell of alcohol on her breath he gave her his best gentlemanly smile. ‘Just doing my job.’ As he straightened up and tried to steady her on his feet he did his best to pull away from her, but she fastened her hands onto the lapels of his jacket with a grip that was surprisingly strong given how intoxicated she appeared to be.

‘I love a guy who looks good in a suit,’ the woman slurred, ‘you make a very sexy security guard.’

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes he worked to pull her hands away from his jacket. ‘That’s very kind of you but I have to get back to work.’

Once he had finally managed to pull himself away from the lady he began quickly walking back to his position by the far wall where he had a perfect view of the room. Catching sight of a pair of impossibly long, slender legs out of the corner of his eye he immediately turned to face Eleanor in surprise. Rushing towards her he placed a hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards the wall where they would be less noticeable.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked her in a hushed tone, confused as he noticed that she was wrapped in his jacket. Seeing the paleness of her face he asked her anxiously, ‘are you okay?’

Averting her gaze Eleanor moved closer to him so no one else could hear her, ‘sort of. I may have got into a bit of an altercation,’ she told him quietly, slowly moving the jacket away from her arm.

As soon as he saw the sight of the blood on her arm Jasper gasped, ‘what the hell happened?’ Grabbing hold of her other arm he quickly pulled her towards the door and into the hallway.

‘This guy knew who I was, he said it was a warning,’ Eleanor told him hastily, not wanting to panic him by telling him the man had admitted to wanting to kill her. Jasper felt anger bubbling up inside him at the knowledge that someone had purposely hurt Eleanor and he had to squeeze his eyes shut for a few moments to calm himself down.   
Eleanor watched as Jasper visibly entered bodyguard mode, his stance straightening and his eyes turning serious. When he spoke again his voice was low and fast as he tried to gain as much information as he could in as little amount of time. She watched his mouth flatten in fury when she told him yes, it hurt like hell and no, no one else had seen his attack.

In the midst of his questioning he caught sight of her hands shaking gently out of the corner of his eye and he realised that despite her calm voice she was scared and hurting. ‘Come here,’ he whispered as he leant down to wrap one arm around her back and one under her knees and lifted her into his embrace. ‘Everything is going to be fine. You’re okay, I’ve got you,’ he soothed her as he began making his way out of the suite.  
Eleanor felt the panic drain away as she tucked her cheek into Jasper’s neck, breathing in his musky, masculine scent that had become so familiar to her. She knew she shouldn’t be allowing him to hold her like this but right now she didn’t care about hiding her vulnerability from him, she just wanted to feel his warmth.

Jasper paced the small hospital room slowly, repeatedly running his hand through his hair in a gesture of stress. Eleanor watched him carefully, not sure what to say to try and calm him down; she had never seen him this unsettled before. She was used to seeing him in complete control, his posture and expression serious and unemotional, but that was the exact opposite of what she was seeing now.

It had taken less than 5 minutes for Jasper to drive her to the hospital, navigating the Las Vegas traffic with ease, after he had taken her out of the hotel through a hidden back exit to avoid any attention. He had held her hand throughout her examination and had only left her when she was taken into surgery to remove the bullet, despite his protests.

‘Just sit down will you?’ she ordered him, exasperated.

Jasper barely even heard her speak. He had managed to remain calm as he had gotten her here her safety and health being his top priority but now he knew she was going to be okay a red haze had filled his mind. ‘I can’t believe he did this to you. If I ever find him I’ll-‘

‘Jasper!’ Eleanor interrupted him forcefully, ‘sit down!’ With a huff Jasper finally did what he was told and sunk into the chair beside her bed, dropping his head into his hands.

After a few moments he raised his head up to look at her. ‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured.

‘You have nothing to be sorry about; you couldn’t predict that this was going to happen!’ she tried to reassure him. Feeling guilty watching him punish himself when she knew that this was all her fault, she never should have left that room!

‘I knew it wasn’t safe for you to be alone,’ he murmured, almost to himself.

‘It was my decision to come here alone and it was my decision to leave that room alone. You told me to stay inside where I was safe and I ignored you.’

Scoffing Jasper rolled his eyes, ‘how stupid of me was that, to presume you were going to listen to me? I knew you weren’t going to follow an order from a guy you don’t trust!’

‘I may not trust you on a lot of things,’ Eleanor told him in a quiet voice, ‘but I trust you to keep me safe. I was just too stubborn to do as you said.’

‘I would have been worried if you had stayed inside, it would have been too out of character,’ Jasper laughed, trying to diffuse the tension now crackling in the air after her candid revelation. ‘I shouldn’t have left you.’

‘Don’t be stupid, you can’t be beside me all the time! You left this job behind, you left me behind and I’ve dragged you back into my mess.’ She told him firmly.

Reaching out to squeeze her hand Jasper met her gaze earnestly, ‘there is nowhere else I would rather be. I shouldn’t have left you and I can promise you I will not leave you again,’ he told her resolutely.

Eleanor felt her heart clench in pleasure for a brief moment and it immediately unsettled her. She knew she was already far too dependent on Jasper, that she wanted him around too much.

‘I won’t let anyone else hurt you again,’ he whispered to her, a shimmer in his eyes that she couldn’t quite translate.

Desperate to try and put some space back between them before she did something she’d regret she said the only thing she could think of, ‘You hurt me. You slept with my mother.’  
Instantaneously she felt Jasper tense beside her, the shimmer disappearing from his eyes and being replaced by something harder. Standing up he pulled his hand away from hers and stepped away from her, pain gripping his chest. Every time he thought she was getting one step closer to trusting him she pushed him away. ‘I need to try and get hold of Ted.’  
Immediately her longing was replaced by panic at the sound of the Royal security guard’s name. ‘What? Why, I’m fine!’

‘You need to go home Princess, the press are going to find out that you are here and its best that the palace finds out where you are first hand, don’t you?’ Jasper told her sternly.  
‘Fine,’ she replied almost sulkily, ‘but tell them not to send any guards on the plane or I will refuse to get on it. And make sure you have permission to get on.’

Nodding Jasper began making his way towards the door. Eleanor’s insistence that he be with her on the journey home gave him the final proof he needed that she had come to find him with the sole intent of getting him to return to the palace.

Resting his hand on the door handle, he turned to face her briefly. ‘As much as you’re trying to hide it, you came looking for me specifically didn’t you? You aren’t in Las Vegas for a break from the palace.’

Blushing slightly, Eleanor looked away from him and replied fiercely, ‘don’t flatter yourself Jasper.’

Walking back over to her steadily, like an animal approaching its prey, he watched her eyes widen in panic. ‘I don’t believe you. I think you came to find me, to convince me to return to the Palace with you.’

Eleanor scoffed, but accidentally caught his eye and found that she couldn’t look away. Trapped under his steely blue gaze her words evaporated from her tongue and so all she could do was narrow her eyes. ‘You were successful Princess, now you’ve found me I’m not going anywhere.’

So slowly it was like time had stopped, she watched as Jasper lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. As she felt the familiar feel of his mouth connect to hers she let out a small moan. But, just as his tongue brushed against hers he pulled away, leaving her breathless and frustrated.

‘I think you missed me,’ he whispered in her ear before heading for the door once more.

‘And you didn’t miss me?’ Eleanor asked him as she watched him beginning to walk away.  
Shrugging his shoulders, Jasper smirked at her, his eyes glinting with humour. ‘I guess you’ll never know.’

As he walked purposefully out of the room Eleanor rested her head back against the pillow and smiled, remembering the articles she had found in his drawer. I think he missed me, she thought to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	11. Home

Eleanor stared out of the car window at the elegant infrastructure of the palace blankly as they drove into the courtyard. The feeling of dread she felt as they pulled up reminded her of her feelings when they were visiting the retirement home during her charity tour, except this time she didn’t have the high of ecstasy to look forward to – just the wrath of her mother.

Security swarmed the car immediately and cold British air whooshed harshly past her face as her door was opened for her.

‘Welcome back Princess,’ one of the guards greeted her, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. Ignoring them all Eleanor began making her way towards the doors, glancing behind her briefly to make sure Jasper was following her and that someone was taking care of her luggage.

Jasper was hot on her heels, noticing the stiffness in her shoulders as she strode confidently towards the entrance. He could tell she was ready for the confrontation with her mother that was bound to take place inside and had mentally prepared herself for battle.

Eleanor had barely made it through the doors when she saw Ted striding towards her, flanked by two men she had never seen before, not that she regularly took notice of the staff. She caught sight of Ted nodding out of the corner of her eye and making a pointed look to someone beside her but before she even had time to think about it she heard a loud grunt from behind.

Jasper had been surprised when he had suddenly felt the rough grasp of two of the security members as they had reaching out to grab both of his arms. However, his shock soon wore off and he managed to keep his arms free as the men tried desperately to pin them behind his back. If it weren’t for the third guard stepping in help he was sure he would have been able to wrestle his way out of their grip.

‘What the hell is going on?’ Eleanor shouted, spinning around hastily to view the huddle of guards. She had no choice but to simply stand and stare as Jasper’s arms were handcuffed behind his back at what looked to be a very painful angle.

‘Princess, you need to come with me. Your mother wishes to see you,’ Ted told her in a calm yet firm tone, indicating for her to follow him. When she refused to move he placed a hand on her arm and tried to push her along.

Brushing his hand away in annoyance she gave him a fierce stare, her emerald cat like eyes burning with ire. ‘I said, what the hell is going on?’ she repeated through clenched teeth, ‘let him go.’

‘I’m afraid we can’t do that your highness,’ Ted replied, averting his gaze. Feeling her stare practically burning into the side of his neck he added, ‘he’s under arrest.’

‘What?’ Jasper asked incredulously as Eleanor scoffed.

‘Has my mother requested this by any chance?’ Eleanor asked in a bitterly sweet voice. ‘If so you had better let him go, you have no grounds to arrest him!’

‘Jasper is being arrested for kidnapping and mishandling a member of the Royal family. While this was not explicitly your mother’s request she is in full favour of it, as is the King.’ Ted responded, ‘now if you will please follow me-‘

‘No,’ Eleanor spat, folding her arms across her chest. ‘You can’t do this. Jasper didn’t kidnap me; he was the one who made me come back!’

‘Ah, it seems my darling daughter has returned!’ Eleanor visibly shuddered at the sarcastic sound of her mother’s voice as she approached them, her heels clicking loudly on the marble floor.

Turning to face her with a look of disgust Eleanor rolled her eyes, ‘did you miss me as much as I missed you?’ she asked her in an equally bitter and sarcastic tone.

‘Now Eleanor that’s not a very nice tone to use when greeting your mother for the first time in weeks! For all I knew you could have been dead!’ Helena replied, but Eleanor knew that the only thing the Queen will have been worrying about was any scandal that may appear in the papers with her name attached to it, not her safety or wellbeing.

‘That would have been good news for you wouldn’t it? Then you would have only had one child left who could disgrace you.’

‘Eleanor!’ her mother scolded her, narrowing her eyes in an unspoken warning. ‘Come along, we have much to discuss.’ As the Queen began walking away Eleanor sighed loudly.  
‘I’m not going anywhere with you until you stop Jasper’s arrest,’ Eleanor told her retreating back.

‘He can come with us, I need to talk to him too,’ the Queen replied, not even breaking her stride.

Eleanor and Jasper shared a quick confused and anxious glance before two of the guards let go of Jasper to allow the remaining one to practically drag him in the direction the Queen had just gone. Eleanor quickly followed next to Jasper, not wanting to lose sight of him in case he was taken away.

Once inside the red state room Eleanor watched as Ted indicated for the guard to leave the room so that just the four of them remained. The sound of the wooden door closing harshly behind her made her jump and she instinctively straightened her posture as she stared at her mother perched on the edge of the King’s desk, not wanting to look intimidated.

‘What the bloody hell were you thinking Eleanor? You can’t just go gallivanting off to Las Vegas whenever you feel like it!’ her mother shouted at her once the door was closed.

‘You can’t control everything I do mother!’ Eleanor spat back.

‘You should have informed someone of your decision to take a trip Eleanor. You aren’t safe by yourself,’ Ted interjected, trying to diffuse the tension in the room.

‘Would you have let me go?’ Eleanor countered.

‘Well, er, no probably not but-‘ Ted stuttered.

‘Exactly,’ Eleanor interrupted with an exasperated hand gesture. Taking a deep breath Eleanor met the gaze of the security guard, knowing he was her best bet to get Jasper released. ‘Look, Jasper didn’t kidnap me so you can’t have him arrested, we both know that.’

Still flustered Ted turned to Jasper, ‘you were under strict instruction not to contact the Princess!’

‘I understand that sir and I can assure you I didn’t. I was at work and she appeared, I had no idea she was coming nor that she even knew where I was,’ Jasper told Ted firmly yet calmly. ‘I did not hold her against her will.’

‘Regardless, you should have informed the palace as soon as you found her,’ the Queen spat at him. ‘By not doing so you withheld information that could have prevented the injury of a Royal and I believe that counts as treason.’

Scoffing softly Jasper simply nodded at the Queen. He knew she was right and he already felt guilty enough about Eleanor’s attack without Helena taunting him about it. ‘Very well your majesty,’ he replied, meeting the Queen’s harsh gaze.

Shocked that Jasper was giving up the fight so easily Eleanor stepped in between him and her mother. ‘Wait a minute. I told Jasper not to tell anyone that I was with him so if anyone is to blame for my attack it’s me,’ Eleanor informed her mother, adding after a moments pause ‘well and the attacker obviously.’

Ignoring her daughters words Helena simply turned to Ted ‘take Jasper away,’ she ordered him with a dismissive shake of her hand.

‘If you want me to attend any Royal events for the next year then I suggest you have him released right now. If not then I think you will also find at least a few unwanted articles appearing in the press very soon as well as plenty of indecent photos. Trust me when I say that I will do everything in my power to destroy the public’s image of you,’ Eleanor stated to her mother, moving towards her slowly with her eyes narrowed as if approaching her prey.

Rolling her eyes her mother eventually gave a resigned sigh, ‘You really are so dramatic Eleanor.’ She moaned at her daughter before adding in an annoyed tone, ‘fine, he can be released.’

Giving her mother a brief smile of triumph she turned to Jasper and waited for Ted to unlock the handcuffs binding Jasper’s hands together. Once released Jasper let out a wince of pain and rolled his wrists.

‘Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to unpack,’ Eleanor informed her mother and began marching out of the room as Jasper followed. They were almost out of sight when Eleanor shouted back at the pair, ‘Oh and if my bodyguard were any good at his job he would have noticed me leaving the bathroom and getting on a plane so obviously he needs to be fired. I can’t help it if your staff are incompetent.’

Chuckling softly Jasper picked up his pace until he was walking by Eleanor’s side. ‘You do get a lot of people fired,’ he drawled with a smirk.

‘I need the best,’ Eleanor replied instantaneously, giving Jasper a chaste smile, a twinkle of triumph in her eyes.

‘Thankyou for that,’ Jasper told her sincerely in a low voice after a few moments.  
Feeling herself blush Eleanor kept her face forward as she continued on to her room, ‘yes, well I’m the only person who is allowed to get you arrested. Don’t forget I can always get you locked up again.’

‘Don’t worry, I won’t,’ Jasper muttered quietly.

As they approached the doors to her room Eleanor suddenly stopped and turned to face Jasper. He could see a hint of what appeared to be apprehension on her face and for a moment he was scared about what she was going to say, fearing she was going to ask him to leave.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked her anxiously when she simply stared at him.

Looking down at her hands Eleanor found she had to take a deep breath before she could speak. ‘Back in your hotel room, I found some newspaper clippings about the Monarchy,’ she told him quietly, watching as his face froze in shock. ‘Why did you have them?’

Quickly Jasper tried to compose himself, but Eleanor could sense his embarrassment even when he tried to appear indifferent. ‘Even though I wasn’t allowed to contact you I still wanted to make sure you were safe and the only way I could do that was by looking out for mention of you in the news. I kept those clippings so I could keep reassuring myself that you were doing okay and that I had made the right decision by leaving,’ he replied.   
He knew he could have made a big deal about her snooping through his room and told her he didn’t know why he had kept the articles but for some reason he had felt the strongest urge to simply tell her the truth.

Eleanor noticed the way his voice got quieter as he spoke the last part, as if it were something he felt like he shouldn’t be revealing. She felt warmth spread through her at the knowledge that Jasper had cared about her even though he had left. ‘So what would have happened if there was a report saying I was in danger or had been attacked?’ she asked him cautiously.

Jasper’s face drained of colour right before her eyes and he physically blanched, ‘I would have gotten here as fast as I could and found a way to get to you.’ His reply was so fast that Eleanor knew that he must be telling the truth and she completely believed him.

Nodding Eleanor stepped closer to him until she could feel his breath blowing past her cheek. ‘Thankyou,’ she murmured before she reached up and pressed her lips against his in the softest kiss they had ever shared. For a moment Jasper stilled as if he couldn’t believe what was happening but after a few seconds he traced his tongue against Eleanor’s lips and gasping softly she opened her mouth to him.

As their tongues met in an erotic dance fire coursed through Jasper’s veins and he reached out to grab Eleanor’s hips to try and pull her impossibly closer. Reaching her hands up, Eleanor wound one around Jasper’s neck and the other twined within his soft hair. As Eleanor began to feel breathless she moved her hands down to cup his face, feeling the gentle scrape of his stubble across her fingertips. As she pushed his head backwards slightly and pulled her mouth away she heard Jasper let out a low groan and flicked her eyes open slowly.

Jasper met her gaze, his eyes filled with desire and lust flooded Eleanor’s brain but she knew that acting on it was not a good idea. Sensing her inner dilemma Jasper removed his hands from her body and stepped back to put some distance between them, not wanting to push her into anything.

Taking a deep breath and silently thanking Jasper for his movement she smirked at him as he opened the doors to her room. ‘So can I borrow your couch again?’ Jasper asked her humorously as she brushed past him to enter the room.

‘I guess you can sleep in the bed,’ Eleanor replied, not turning to face him for fear she wouldn’t be able to look away again, ‘so long as you stick to your side.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	12. Rehired

Eleanor groaned as she pulled her bed covers up to cover her face, trying and failing to block out the sunlight which was now filling her room. Giving up she pushed them away angrily moments later, kicking her legs in frustration. Grabbing her phone for the hundredth time that morning she stared at the time - how was it only 7am?! It was so unlike her to not be able to sleep yet she’d been awake for over an hour, tossing and turning as she tried to get comfortable.

Turning over she caught sight of the man laid next to her, neatly tucked under the covers at the very edge of the bed. Clearly he hasn’t had any problem sleeping, Eleanor thought to herself enviously. Narrowing her eyes at him she took her time to look at him, knowing it was a rare occasion for her to be able to catch him so off guard.

Jasper’s face was completely relaxed in sleep, all seriousness gone and Eleanor smiled softly. He looked almost innocent, something he rarely looked when awake. His hair was slightly tousled, a lock falling forwards to rest on his forehead. Running her eyes down she appreciated his muscled shoulders and as she glanced at his arms memories of him holding her against a wall or the bed as he kissed her made her shiver. As her thoughts began to wander as to what was below the covers, she had to shake her head quickly, averting her gaze back to his face.

As she tried to focus on his face she noticed that his stubble around his jaw was slightly longer than usual, probably because he hadn’t had a chance to shave since her attack. Guilt suddenly filled her and she bit her lip anxiously, feeling bad that she had dragged him away from his life. Trying to squash her feelings of remorse she reminded herself that she hadn’t forced him to come back with her, but that then led to many unanswered questions forming in her mind, many of which she didn’t want to examine too closely.   
Noticing one of his larger freckles on his left cheek she squinted, trying to see how many other dotted his face.

‘Stop staring at me.’ Jasper’s voice was barely more than a whisper but it still made her jump in surprise, a pink flush searing her cheeks.

‘I’m not staring!’ Eleanor replied instantly although she knew it was a lie, turning onto her back to look at the ceiling instead.

‘Yes you were,’ Jasper drawled, eyes still closed, a hint of amusement lacing his voice.

‘I didn’t even know you were awake,’ Eleanor muttered, embarrassed that he knew what she had been doing.

‘How could I not be when you’ve been wiggling around for the last hour?’ Jasper murmured. His hoarse voice sent awareness prickling along Eleanor’s skin.

Huffing she got out of bed and strode over to her vanity, picking up a cigarette and fiddling with it aimlessly, ‘well I do apologise if I disrupted your beauty sleep,’ she replied bitterly.

‘Apology accepted,’ Jasper replied sarcastically, still lying perfectly still under the covers. Narrowing her eyes at him Eleanor resisted the urge to throw something hard at him and instead lit her cigarette and marched towards her closet.

When she emerged again a short while later, dressed in a loose fitting gold shimmering top and a pair of tight, black trousers she tried to walk straight out of the room without even so much as a glance at Jasper but his sarcastic drawl made her pause halfway to the door.

‘Going to get me breakfast?’ Turning to face him with a scowl like thunder on her face Eleanor felt her fists clench instinctively.

‘Very funny. You’ve already admitted you don’t have a sex tape to blackmail me with, remember?’ Eleanor replied through clenched teeth. Seeing his smirk she relaxed her posture slightly and instead folded her arms, refusing to rise to the bait. ‘However, I still have the power to get you arrested, so don’t you think you should be getting me breakfast?’ she asked dryly.

‘We both know you don’t eat breakfast,’ Jasper replied, ‘unless a pint of coffee and an ecstasy tablet count?’

He watched as Eleanor rolled her eyes and to his surprise she averted her gaze, murmuring softly, ‘I don’t take that anymore, although sometimes I can’t remember why.’ Jasper wasn’t sure if she intended for him to hear her confession but he felt his eyebrows rise in surprise.

Pulling the covers away from himself and stepping out of bed he padded his way over to her. As she began trying to walk out of the room he grabbed her wrist, forcing her to face him.   
Eleanor understood his perplexed look, he was waiting for an explanation and she knew he wouldn’t let he go until she gave him one. ‘I’ve quit the hard stuff for my dad,’ she told him quietly.

Gently holding onto her chin Jasper tilted her head up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. ‘I’m proud of you,’ he whispered.

Feeling warmth spread through her Eleanor pulled herself from his grasp harshly, ‘well I didn’t do it for you,’ she replied severely, ‘and what you think is irrelevant.’ As soon as she spoke those words she regretted them, knowing that Jasper would see right through them. She had panicked when she felt pleasure fill her at his words and knew that his praise shouldn’t mean anything to her. The fact that they did petrified her and it was instinct that made her try and push him away.

Jasper watched as she strode out of the room, a small smile on his face. He knew what she was doing, putting up her walls when she felt like they might get too close. ‘Whatever you say Princess,’ he murmured to her retreating back.

Straightening his spine Jasper tilted his chin up defensively. He’d received a message from Ted just after Eleanor had left asking him to give a statement about her attack in Las Vegas but he didn’t realise that their meeting would not be private. Now he was stood before Queen Helena’s desk, Ted seated to his right as the Queen tried to stare him down. Refusing to be intimidated Jasper met her harsh gaze, ‘I’ve already explained that I was not with Eleanor when she was attacked.’

‘But you have yet to explain why,’ the Queen spat back at him. ‘A member of the Royal family turns up at the hotel you work in and you decide to leave them alone? Didn’t it occur to you that she would need some sort of protection?’

Jasper took a deep breath, glancing briefly at Ted who was taking notes in a small red notebook. ‘She agreed to stay hidden and so I presumed she would be safe. I admit that that was a poor judgement and I should not have left her alone but I’m no longer Eleanor’s bodyguard. I had a job to attend. If you had hired a competent guard to replace me then none of this would have ever happened.’

‘At the moment this is not the priority,’ Ted interrupted, trying to calm the situation. ‘The priority is finding Eleanor’s attacker before he can strike again. Do you have any idea as to why he may have attacked her?’

Thinking for a moment Jasper turned to face his former boss, ignoring the Queen’s fierce glare. ‘Eleanor said that the man who attacked her admitted that he was originally trying to kill her but told her her injuries could serve as a warning instead. He knew who she was and he wanted her dead.’

‘What amazing detective work bodyguard. He shot her, of course he wanted her dead,’ the Queen interrupted maliciously.

Still ignoring her Jasper continued regardless, ‘therefore this man wants the palace to know that he’s after her. Perhaps he wants to warn you that he knows something.’

‘He’s trying to scare us,’ Helena responded in a dull tone, ‘I doubt he knows anything.’

Running a hand across the back of his neck in annoyance Jasper knew that he was never going to be able to speak freely with the Queen standing in front of him. He needed to talk to Ted about his theory in private and he needed to be able to stay in the palace to allow him to test it.

‘Either way Eleanor needs to be protected,’ Jasper told the Queen firmly, ‘or next time she could end up dead.’

‘I’m working on finding her another bodyguard,’ Ted informed him.

‘She needs a guard who has experience of the palace and the Monarchy and she needs one now,’ Jasper gave Ted a knowing look and hoped that Ted would get the hint.

Dragging a hand anxiously through his hair Ted sighed, ‘I guess you would be the best fit for the job. Eleanor needs a bodyguard she won’t get fired within a week.’

Standing up the Queen slammed her hands down on the table, ‘no way. Your services are no longer required here, we have your statement and now I want you off of palace grounds,’ Helena spat at Jasper, her eyes narrowing in fury at the suggestion of Jasper being re-hired.

Keeping his face devoid of emotion Jasper slowly turned to face her. ‘Your daughter needs protecting and I can promise you I will protect her with my life.’

Scoffing Helena rolled her eyes, ‘you did a great job of protecting her in Vegas didn’t you bodyguard?’

‘We all make mistakes,’ he replied in a low voice. Helena knew immediately that he was no longer referring to Eleanor’s recent attack.

Jasper’s unexpected response stunned Helena for a moment. ‘You know she will never trust you.’

‘Maybe not, but that doesn’t stop me protecting her at any cost,’ Jasper replied. ‘At least I’m trying to make up for my mistakes.’

Helena narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her, shocked that he was being so honest with her and didn’t seem to be intimidated by her position. For a second she felt slightly impressed. ‘Fine, you can have your job back,’ she told him, ‘but I doubt she’ll ever forgive you. She certainly will never forgive me.’

Eleanor halted as she watched the large wooden doors just a little further up the corridor open. As she caught sight of Jasper walking out she gasped, anger building up inside her. He was wearing a fitted green jumper and a pair of worn jeans and she was annoyed at herself for how much just the sight of him affected her.

Turning to make his way back towards Eleanor’s room he stopped suddenly, noticing that she was stood a few feet in front of him. His small smile at being re-hired quickly disappeared as he caught sight of the flames burning in Eleanor’s emerald eyes. Watching her carefully he saw how she glanced quickly into the room he had just exited and no doubt saw her mother walking out of one of the other doors.

‘Been for a quickie with my mother?’ she asked him harshly.

Sighing he let he felt the tension building in his shoulders. ‘Ted was in there as well,’ he told her quietly. He felt a slight relief as he watched her eyebrows rise in surprise at his response.

‘Oh so does he just like to watch or?’ Eleanor asked in a mocking voice.

Rolling his eyes Jasper scoffed, ‘you seriously think I have just been having a threesome with your mother and my boss?’ he asked her sarcastically.

‘Don’t you mean former boss?’ Eleanor asked him harshly.

Stepping towards her Jasper closed the space between them, smirking as Eleanor tried to back away from him and ended up with her back to the wall. ‘No. I’ve just been re-hired,’ he informed her smugly.

Jasper watched as Eleanor’s mouth opened and closed quickly as she tried to think of a response. ‘Don’t I get a say in this?’ she asked after a few moments.

Placing his hands on the wall at either side of her Jasper shook his head slowly, ‘you brought me back here. You’re stuck with me now.’

Jasper’s soft drawl made Eleanor shiver and she stared at him fiercely, ‘you wanted to come back.’

‘Maybe I did,’ he drawled, smirking. Jasper lowered his head towards hers until their faces were centimetres away from touching, the rest of his body pressed against hers. Eleanor sucked in a sharp breath as his hips and chest met hers and she felt the warmth of his solid body.

Their breaths mingled in the tiny space between them and Eleanor felt dizzy with Jasper’s deep, masculine scent. Feeling his heart beginning to race Jasper whispered, ‘You know it’s never been your mother who I’ve wanted.’ With that he reached across the place a chaste kiss on Eleanor’s cheek before pulling away and taking a step backwards.

As Eleanor watched him march down the hallway she sighed, letting her body slouch against the wall behind her. Trying to steady her breathing she closed her eyes, head resting against the wall. Waiting for the delicious swirl of desire to disperse from between her hips she wrapped her arms around her chest. How could he make her feel so much anticipation and need without even touching her?

Groaning she finally pushed herself away from the wall and began making her way back to her room. She was going to get him back for this – was going to make him crave her the way she had just craved him and then she was going to tease him with it. Why should he be the only one with any power? Seen as though he was now her bodyguard again she would have lots of opportunities to torment him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	13. Teasing

Eleanor sighed longingly as she walked past Jasper and into her bedroom, closing the doors behind her as she gave Jasper a coy smile.

Jasper had noticed the extra twinkle that had been in her emerald eyes ever since he had been re-hired and he knew exactly what she was trying to do – she was trying to tease him like he had teased her. He wished he could say it wasn’t working, that he was strong enough to ignore her, but it would be a lie. For the past week he had been nothing but tense. Every time she brushed past him ‘by accident’ or gave him a seductive look he felt his blood alight. It was taking all of his willpower to pretend he hadn’t noticed, to try and act professional and collected around her, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep it up.

He wanted to grab her as she sauntered past him now, pin her to the wall and show her that he was the one who did the teasing, not her. But he didn’t know how far she was willing to go. While all her tormenting suggested that she wanted him again, just like old times, he knew that she was still smarting about what he had done with her mother and he didn’t want to push her too far, knowing she would only close herself down again. He felt conflicted. And tense.

‘Jaspurr?’ the sound of her calling out his name a short while later pulled him from his thoughts. Turning around Jasper pulled his earpiece out and took a deep breath before swinging the doors open and stepping into the room. As soon as he saw her he had to look away.

Eleanor stood before him in what he could only describe as the skimpiest underwear he had ever seen. He hadn’t seen her in just her underwear in months and she chose this to be the first thing he saw her in? The thin red material left little to the imagination and he dare not look below her face.

‘What?’ he asked, his voice sounding strangled even to his own ears.

Eleanor smirked slightly as she watched Jasper clench his jaw as he looked away from her. She had spent the last week goading him, trying to prove to him and herself that he wasn’t the only one who held all the power – that she could tease him too and then leave him hanging. But, this was the first time that she had visibly been able to see him struggle. Every time she had tried to get a reaction out of him so far he had simply wiped his face of all emotion and responded professionally, as if he was not interested in her at all, but now his reaction was all too clear to her. Finally she seemed to have cracked him.

‘I’m just letting you know that I am going to bed, we’re going to that London club opening tomorrow night and so I want to be rested,’ she informed him. When he simply nodded Eleanor took a step closer to him, ‘are you joining me?’ she asked him quietly.

Hearing her suggestive question Jasper turned to face her, keeping his eyes focused on her gaze. ‘My shift doesn’t finish for another 2 hours; I think it’s best for me to stand guard outside until then.’

‘Very well,’ Eleanor replied casually. As she turned to make her way over to her bed Jasper’s eyes fell onto her behind, which was barely even covered by the thin fabric. While Eleanor clambered into bed and pulled the covers over herself Jasper turned abruptly to make his way back outside, his fists and teeth clenched.

The next day Jasper awoke before Eleanor and got dressed as quietly as possible. By the time Eleanor awoke groggily he was already stationed outside her bedroom door; face stoic and arms folded behind his back. It was not until the evening that he and Eleanor even spoke again.

Strolling out of her closet Eleanor tried to act nonchalant as she moved past Jasper to grab her drink from her coffee table. She was wearing a short dress with a deep, plunging neckline that revealed a lot more skin than she knew her mother would approve of. It had thin, dainty straps and was covered in a layer of thin, delicate lace that skimmed over the top of her thighs suggestively and she was wearing a pair of high heels that tied around her ankles in a small bow which only accentuated the length of her long, lean legs. And of course, everything she wore was black.

Jasper caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye and was about to make some quip about her finally being ready when he had to do a double take, his eyes drawn to her gorgeous legs. As his eyes continued upwards and he saw what she was wearing his mouth went dry and he could feel his pulse flickering wildly in his neck. Her hair was gently curled and hung softly around her shoulders and he had an immense urge to bury his head in it and breathe in its fruity scent.

When his eyes met hers he noticed the sparkle in her eyes that had been there for the past week and he could tell that she knew the effect she was having on him. Trying to clear his head of images of her sprawled out on the bed he did his best to avert his gaze from her shiny red lips.

‘Are you ready to go?’ he asked in a hoarse voice. ‘Liam is waiting downstairs.’

‘Let’s go,’ she told him, grabbing her bag and making her way out of the room, brushing the edge of her body against Jasper’s and lazily running a hand across his chest as she passed him.

The second Eleanor touched him Jasper tensed, desire shooting through him with such force it knocked the breath out of his lungs. He’d spent the entire day trying to relax and get Eleanor off his mind and in a few seconds she had sent him over the edge. Letting out a deep, low moan he reached forward to grab her wrist as it left his chest.

Eleanor let out a shocked gasp as Jasper spun her body and pressed her back against one of her bedroom doors. As his body pressed against hers Eleanor knew that she had snapped his control. A smile broke out onto her face knowing that Jasper was now likely feeling as desperate as she had that day a week ago.

As she tilted her chin up to meet his gaze she noticed how dark his eyes looked, almost midnight blue, and she could feel the slight shaking of his hand wrapped around her slender wrist as he tried to regain his control.

‘I know what you’re doing,’ Jasper practically growled, is face so close to hers that Eleanor could feel his hot breath on her face.

Feigning innocence Eleanor simply stared at him, ‘I don’t know what you mean.’ But as Jasper narrowed his eyes at her and she caught sight of the pulse beating wildly in his throat she felt a smirk lifting the corners of her mouth.

‘Yes you do,’ Jasper ground out between clenched teeth, ‘you’re trying to torment me because I left you longing the other day.’

‘Clearly it’s working,’ Eleanor purred as she ran a finger gently across his cheek, her nail lightly scratching his skin. So suddenly that she had no chance of stopping him Jasper reached up to grab her other wrist too and moved so that both her hands were pinned behind her back, her chest pushing forwards towards him.

Trying to control her breathing to stop Jasper knowing how much she needed him Eleanor looked at him with wide eyes, biting gently on her bottom lip. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye Jasper’s gaze was immediately drawn to her red lips.

Watching his head move down towards hers Eleanor lifted her mouth up to meet his, desperate for contact with his mouth. Jasper kissed her wildly and Eleanor matched his tempo, her tongue finally brushing against his. However, after only a few moments Jasper dragged his head away, leaving her wanting again.

‘Is this what you want?’ Jasper asked quietly, a slight look of trepidation on his face as he waited for her answer.

When she breathlessly replied with a firm ‘yes’ she watched as Jasper’s face hardened, his eyes shimmering with desire. Bending his head down again he murmured in her ear, ‘You’re mine.’ When he pulled back and released his grip on Eleanor’s hands he caught sight of her questioning gaze. ‘Tonight,’ he replied simply, that one word filled with an unspoken promise of what was to come. ‘You have a grand opening to attend to, remember?’

Eleanor let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding as she watched Jasper begin walking down the hallway. Somehow he had managed to be the one leaving her again but at least this time she knew it wouldn’t be the end. Trying to steady herself she carefully followed behind him, her knees feeling weak and her head feeling dizzy. How was she supposed to act normal in front of people when her body was so wound up with need? She was no longer interested in the club, instead interested solely in the man in front of her.

A few hours later and Jasper was just as tense as he had been back at the palace. Eleanor had barely spoken to him since then but he found he was incapable of keeping his eyes off of her, especially when she was wearing that outfit. She was currently sat talking to some overly preened guy, laughing and giggling. To everyone else it probably looked like she was having a great time, but Jasper knew better. He could tell that she was bored of the man in front of her; her smile didn’t quite look natural and her eyes looked blank and dull rather than their usual sparkling emerald.

Eleanor knew that Jasper was watching her, she felt like his serious stare was boring a hole into the side of her head. Reaching forward she ran her fingers along the man in front of hers arm, turning his hand over so she could draw circles on his palm. Although she had barely listened to a word he had said to her Eleanor flashed him a brilliant smile turning slightly so that she was facing Jasper.

Jasper felt his heart race as Eleanor met his eyes and winked at him before turning away to continue fawning over her star-struck admirer. Before he even realised what he was doing he had marched towards her and grabbed the wrist of her hand which was playing with his arm.

‘May I have a word, Princess?’ Jasper bit out through clenched teeth, more like an order than a question.

Looking up at him as if in shock at his rude interruption Eleanor fluttered her eyelashes, ‘I was just in the middle of a delightful conversation,’ she purred.

Ignoring her protests he pulled her out of her seat, ‘Excuse me,’ he muttered to the bewildered guy, dragging Eleanor towards a doorway at the side of the room.  
Once he had dragged her through into the small corridor Jasper immediately pushed her up against the wall. ‘That was a little rude, don’t-‘ Eleanor began, pretending to be annoyed at his interruption. But, before she had even finished her sentence Jasper’s mouth had come crashing down on hers.

Eleanor met his ferocious kisses without hesitation, desperate for him after weeks of barely any contact. One of her hands rose up to cup his cheek as the other grabbed hold of the lapels of his jacket for support. Jasper’s tongue ran along her bottom lip and Eleanor allowed him access to her mouth, their tongues meeting in a fierce battle.

Within minutes Eleanor had undone Jaspers tie and most of his shirt buttons so her hands had easier access to the smooth muscles of his chest. Letting out a deep moan Jasper twisted his hands behind Eleanor’s back and lifted her so she was straddling his hips, hiking her dress up above her bottom.

‘Now, Jasper,’ Eleanor breathlessly commanded, twisting her fingers into his hair. But, before Jasper could adhere to her wish he heard a muffled shout in his ear and paused.  
Suddenly a loud bang reverberated through the air around them and Jasper immediately pulled away from Eleanor, adjusting his ear piece and waiting to hear what was going on. Releasing Eleanor gently and pulling her dress back down he hastily re-buttoned his shirt and fastened his tie.

As Eleanor ran her fingers through her now tousled hair she watched as Jasper’s face suddenly drained of all colour as he heard something through his ear. She saw panic quickly cross his face before he hid it, his usual serious, professional expression returning.

‘Come on, we need to get out of here,’ Jasper told her firmly as he grabbed her wrist and began pulling her down the corridor towards the main room of the club. Just as they were approaching the door it opened swiftly, a man dressed fully in black stepping through quickly.

‘Ah, hello again Princess.’ As soon as the words left the man’s lips Eleanor recognised him and her body instinctively froze in fear. But before she had fully come to terms with the situation Jasper had stepped in front of her, stretching his arms out behind himself to shield and protect her, pushing her backwards slightly in the process.

Stumbling slightly Eleanor tried to steady herself as another bang pierced her ears, this one much louder than the first. Wincing at the sound Eleanor flinched, looking up in horror as she watched Jasper crouch forward and fall halfway to the floor. Reaching out she tried in vain to catch him as he fell but she wasn’t strong enough to hold his weight. Glancing up in fury at the man in the doorway she tried to speak but words failed her.  
‘You got lucky again Princess, maybe one day I might actually hit my target,’ the man drawled before turning and leaving her alone with Jasper’s crumpled body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	14. An Inkling

Eleanor sat with her head in her hands, trying to suppress the uncontrollable shaking that had overtaken her body. She felt useless. Every time she closed her eyes the scene at the club repeated over in her head.

She hadn’t even realised that the screaming was coming from her until another guard had appeared, tugging on her arm to try and get to her stand up. She was slouched on the floor beside Jasper who was bent forwards in pain, clutching at his abdomen.

‘Your highness, we need to get you out of here,’ the guard had told her, doing his best to try and raise her to her feet but her legs wouldn’t work. It was like they had turned to jelly and she could no longer support her own weight.

Glaring at him she shook her head firmly, trying to pull herself together. ‘I’m not leaving him,’ she replied with determination, narrowing her eyes at the guard, almost daring him to try and move her.

When she caught sight of Jasper moving out of the corner of her eye she immediately moved onto her knees to face him, reaching forward to clutch his shoulder.

‘He’s right,’ Jasper muttered as he tried to keep his eyes open and focused on her, but Eleanor could tell how much effort it took. When she shook her head again firmly Jasper reached up to place his hand on hers, his face contorting in pain as he did so. ‘Princess you have to go; it’s not safe for you here.’

Just as she was about to protest again another larger guard burst into the narrow corridor, the door banging loudly against the wall. Eleanor caught the look that the two members of security gave each other and saw the panic that briefly crossed the first guards face.

‘What?’ she demanded, finally standing up to face them on shaky legs. When they didn’t answer for a moment she too felt panic bubbling up inside her, ‘what is going on?’

‘I-I’m afraid that your bodyguard is not the only person to have been injured,’ the larger guard replied, avoiding Eleanor’s gaze. ‘His Royal highness is being escorted to hospital as we speak.’

The words took a while to process in Eleanor’s mind, as if her brain didn’t want to acknowledge what she was being told. But, as the enormity of the situation began to sink in she felt her breath escape her body as her legs gave way beneath her once more. No, not her brother too.

Moving forward rapidly one of the guards caught her before she hit the ground while the other one moved towards Jasper to assess his injuries. Although Eleanor opened her mouth no words came out as a dark fog encased her mind.

Now she was sitting in a blue plastic chair next to Jasper’s hospital bed, feeling as if her whole life were hanging on by a thread.

When she came round she too had been laid on a blue hospital bed, a nurse fiddling with a drip that had been inserted into her arm. Groaning as she opened her eyes she had sat up immediately, flinging her legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the lady’s frantic chatter about how she needed to rest. Shooting her a harsh look over her shoulder Eleanor’s voice was icy when she spoke, ‘I’m fine; take this thing out of my arm. Don’t you think you should be looking after my brother instead?’

Looking almost frightened the nurse did as she was told, glancing anxiously at the door in case the doctor returned.

It took her less than 2 minutes to get information on her brother’s whereabouts out of the woman and when she learnt he was in surgery she instinctively asked for Jasper’s room number instead. She was partly relieved and partly outraged that there were no security posted outside Jasper’s room, but at least it meant she could enter without any opposition.

As soon as she saw him lying in the bed she had an instant flashback of seeing her father in the same position mere months ago and she felt a familiar pain flare to life in her chest. Jasper’s eyes were closed and his face was free from his usual serious expression. A piece of hair had fallen forward over his forehead and Eleanor moved forward to stand at his side, reaching across to gently move the hair away. When her fingers brushed his forehead gently she was comforted by the fact that his skin was warm.

As her eyes moved down she watched his chest slowly rising and falling for a few moments – further reassurance that he was still alive. However, once her eyes caught sight of the white material covering the lower part of his chest she froze and her breath caught in her throat. Reaching out an unsteady hand she pulled the bed cover down as gently as she could to reveal the large white bandage which covered his abdomen. Once she saw it she let out a sudden gasp, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she felt tears spring up in her eyes.

‘This is my fault. He was protecting me.’ Thoughts of worry and guilt plagued her brain as she stood and stared at the cloth covering his wound.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood there before she heard a strong, loud knock on the door which made her jump. Ted strode purposefully into the room before she had a chance to react and she instantly met his gaze, expecting news of her brother.

‘Eleanor, it’s good to see you are alright. Your mother is looking for you,’ Ted informed her, standing at the end of the bed with his arms folded behind his back.

Ignoring his greeting and the mention of her mother Eleanor asked him, ‘is there any news about Liam?’

‘He is still in surgery,’ Ted replied quietly, ‘I’ll be sure to tell you if I hear anything else.’  
Taking a deep breath Eleanor nodded, ‘what about Jasper? Is he going to be okay?’

Seeing the moisture forming in Eleanor’s eyes Ted gave her a small smile, ‘the doctor said he should make a full recovery. They managed to get the bullet out fairly easily once they gave him the anaesthetic and they think his wound should heal without any complications.’

Giving a weak smile Eleanor blinked a few times to try and clear her eyes, glancing back at Jasper. It felt weird seeing him so vulnerable, and his quietness was unsettling.

Once Ted had left she had pulled a seat next to the bed so that she could sit down and that was where she had been ever since. She wasn’t even sure how much time had passed, it could have been hours or minutes she had no idea. Her heart was racing and her mouth felt dry as she fiddled anxiously with her fingers. She felt useless simply sitting and waiting for news but she knew there was nothing else she could do to help her brother. Besides, she didn’t want to leave Jasper’s bedside until she was sure he was okay.  
A nurse had been in a few times, trying to offer her something to eat or drink, but each time Eleanor had refused. Her sympathetic look had annoyed Eleanor, hating the fact that she looked weak and hopeless to others.

Leaning her head back and letting out a large sigh Eleanor stretched out her legs, restlessness making her fidgety. As she ran an unsteady hand through her hair she cringed at thoughts of what she must look like, sweeping her fingers under her eyes to wipe away some of her smudged makeup.

What was she doing, worrying about her appearance at a time like this? Laughing at her actions she placed her head in her hands again, feeling as if she was going crazy, possibly from a lack of sleep.

Jasper winced as he slowly began gaining consciousness again, the feeling slowly returning to his body from his feet upwards. As the numbness faded away from his abdomen it was immediately replaced by a dull ache. The faint feeling of pain suddenly reminded him where he was and what had happened earlier.

His eyes flew open and he had to blink rapidly as they tried to adjust to the light in the room. Within a few seconds he had surveyed the room and his gaze had landed on the figure sat beside him, leaning forward so her wild brown hair billowed around her shoulders.

His last sighting of her had been when she had lost consciousness, her head falling against the guards shoulder as he lifted her into his arms to carry her out of the corridor, no doubt into a waiting car. Jasper had continually asked about her wellbeing and her whereabouts as the other guard had checked him over and confirmed that he too needed to be taken to hospital, but he had been given little information. He had simply been told that she too was going to infirmary in case she was suffering from severe shock.

Jasper had tried to stand up and follow her from the corridor but the pain had overwhelmed him and he had been forced to admit defeat, agreeing to travel separately to the hospital so that his wound could be treated. Although he knew she was in safe hands Jasper had still felt panic for her right up until he had been given the injection of anaesthetic.

Now he took a moment to revel in the relief he felt at being reunited with her and seeing that she was safe. It was then that he heard the quiet noise she was making. At first he thought she was sobbing gently but after a few seconds he realised that she was in fact laughing.

‘What’s so funny?’ Hearing Jasper’s hoarse voice Eleanor sat up straight, meeting his gaze. Seeing that his eyes were open she let out a relieved breath and felt a smile curling pulling at the corners of her mouth. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked as she faced him.

Eyebrows lifting in surprise Eleanor replied in a sarcastic voice, ‘you got hit by a bullet and you’re asking me if I’m okay?’

When he smirked and nodded Eleanor stepped closer to him, ‘I am because of you,’ she murmured quietly. ‘Thankyou.’

‘You don’t have to thank me Princess, it’s my job,’ Jasper drawled, his voice getting stronger with every word.

‘So that’s the only reason you did it? Because it’s your job?’ Eleanor asked quietly.  
Rolling his eyes Jasper reached out one of his hands to cover hers, which was resting on the edge of the bed frame. ‘I said I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you. Regardless of whether or not it’s my job I will do whatever it takes to protect you.’

Hearing his softly spoken words Eleanor felt her heart clench, knowing that he was speaking the truth. Glancing at his hand wrapped around hers she felt a myriad of emotions run through her, but mainly overwhelming that at least he was all right. ‘I’m glad you’re okay,’ she told whispered, ‘does your wound hurt?’

‘A little but it’s not too bad. Although I think I will have to refrain from certain physical activity for a short while at least.’ Hearing his words Eleanor met his gaze, seeing the humour glinting in his eyes as he smirked.

Narrowing her eyes Eleanor replied in a sarcastic drawl, ‘oh, well what are you going to do with yourself if you can’t film anymore blackmail sex videos?’

‘We both know I don’t need to blackmail you into sex,’ Jasper responded, his eyes going dark and his voice deep, ‘from your actions in the tunnel I don’t think you need much persuading.’

Feeling herself flush slightly Eleanor felt a rush of desire.

‘Plus, we both know there was never a video.’ Jasper continued, ‘although I’m sure I can find other ways to occupy my time.’

Eleanor was just about to question him on what exactly his ideas were when the door opened suddenly behind her. Turning to face their intruder Eleanor paused when she saw it was Ted again.

‘Ah, good to see you’re awake Jasper. How are you feeling?’ Ted asked as he moved towards them.

However Jasper barely had time to nod at Ted before Eleanor had interrupted, ‘How’s Liam?’

‘His Highness is out of surgery. The doctors say the procedure went well and they have managed to stem his internal bleeding. However he does have a punctured lung, several broken ribs and significant injury to his intestines, which will take a long time to heal.’ Eleanor felt her mouth open in disbelief at Ted’s words, her mind spinning as she tried to take in this new information.

She knew he was hurt but not like this! ‘But, I, how many times was he shot?’ Eleanor stammered, clinging onto the chair for support.

‘The doctors removed 2 bullets, but Liam also suffered a pretty big blow to his chest,’ Ted replied, his voice quiet yet serious. Seeing Eleanor’s pale face and shocked expression Ted continued, ‘you may see him now if you want to; your mother is with him.’

Nodding Eleanor had to swallow before she could reply, her mouth feeling as if she hadn’t drunk in weeks. ‘Where is he?’

‘Martin is waiting outside, he will escort you there.’ Ted moved to open the door for her, indicating to one of the guards who she had seen in the corridor earlier. With unsteady legs Eleanor lifted herself from the chair, glancing quickly at Jasper to make sure that he was okay.

‘I’m fine,’ he told her with a reassuring smirk, before she turned and left the room.

Once she was gone Ted closed the door firmly behind her, moving towards Jasper’s bedside again as he reached into his suit jacket to pull out a small black notebook. Sensing Ted’s seriousness Jasper pulled himself up slightly in the bed, clenching his teeth and curling his toes against the pain that shot through his abdomen, trying to hide his discomfort from his boss.

‘Jasper I need to ask you a few questions about the attack, if you’re feeling up to it,’ Ted told him.

‘I understand,’ Jasper replied calmly, ‘but I think I should tell you firstly that the man who attacked Eleanor today was the same man who attacked her in Las Vegas.’

Eyes widening in surprise Ted asked him, ‘are you sure?’

‘The man greeted her as soon as he entered the room. Eleanor recognised him, I could tell by the change in her expression and how her movements froze,’ Jasper informed Ted, his fists clenching in fury that this man had nearly injured Eleanor again.

Reaching up to run a hand across his forehead in agitation Ted let out a small sigh, ‘so we know who the attacker is, but we don’t know why he’s attacking.’

‘I think I do,’ Jasper replied firmly, meeting Ted’s confused gaze. ‘I had an inkling before but now I’m sure, what other reason would there be to attack both Liam and Eleanor but not the actual King or Queen?’

Even more confused now Ted gave him a baffled look, ‘what is it?’

‘Did you see the results of the paternity test for Liam and Eleanor?’ Jasper asked, watching as realisation crossed Ted’s face as he finally understood what Jasper was hinting at.

‘Only Doctor Cohen saw the results before they were broadcast,’ Ted replied slowly, ‘but why would he lie?’

‘I don’t know, but Liam and Eleanor must be the King Simon’s biological children and their attacker must know that.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	15. Liam's Bedside

‘So what shall we do?’ Jasper asked Ted after a few moments of silence. He watched quietly as Ted sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in stress.

‘Nothing,’ Ted finally replied, avoiding Jasper’s gaze.

‘Nothing?’ Jasper asked incredulously, eyes widening in surprise at his bosses nonchalant reaction to his theory.

‘Not for the moment no.’ Ted’s voice suddenly took on a stern tone although the strain was still evident. Seeing Jasper’s reaction he took a deep breath before continuing, ‘just do me a favour and leave this for a while. There is a lot going on at the moment and I don’t think anyone needs any more stress, what with the attacker still no closer to being found and Liam laying in intensive care.’

Jasper watched as Ted clenched his teeth together and gripped the end of his bed, his knuckles turning white. He had a strong inkling that Ted wanted to keep his theory quiet to avoid him having to experience any more stress, not the members of the Royal family. But, sensing the tension radiating from the Royal head of security Jasper knew that now was not the time to argue. ‘So Liam is in intensive care?’ Jasper asked instead, ‘do the doctors think he will recover?’

Squeezing his eyes shut Ted released his hold on the bed and straightened, ‘everyone is hoping he will, but it won’t be a fast recovery.’ Suddenly the shrill ring of Ted’s phone caught both of their attention and Ted immediately pulled it out of his pocket. Jasper caught Ted’s eyes widen slightly as he saw the name flashing on his screen but before Jasper had a chance to inquire Ted excused himself and left the room, the door closing softly behind him.

Resting his head back against the pillow Jasper winced again slightly as his stitches in his abdomen pulled and he allowed himself to peel back the covers to survey the damage. He was surprised at how low his wound was and it immediately informed him that yet again Eleanor’s attacker had not wanted to kill her, his bullet clearly not aimed at her heart.  
On the other hand, the attacker had clearly had a different intention with Liam, given by the fact that he had been shot several times. To puncture a lung his target must have been closer to his heart - all of this backed up his theory about Eleanor and Liam’s paternity. If Liam really was King Simon’s son then that would make him the rightful heir to the British crown, a possible reason to try and have him killed.

Despite Ted’s warning to not take his theory any further Jasper knew that he needed to. Eleanor and Liam deserved to know the truth about their father and if they were King’s Simon’s children then Cyrus could be removed from the throne before he could do too much damage.

Eleanor felt her head jerk upwards and her eyes fly open as she was about to drift off to sleep for what felt like the thousandth time. Rubbing hers eyes, ignoring the makeup that she guessed would now be smeared around her face, she reached for her large cup of coffee. As she swallowed she felt the warm liquid travelling down her throat and felt her stomach rumble.

Eleanor had stayed at her brother’s bedside for the past two days, sleeping in an uncomfortable plastic armchair. Now however her legs were starting to cramp and her neck ached, anxiety bearing down on her shoulders like a lead weight. Trying to focus on the loud, constant beeping of the machines surrounding Liam she tried to remain awake.

‘Eleanor?’ the sound of Jasper’s concerned voice woke her immediately, not that she had even realised she was asleep. When her eyes opened she was surprised to see him stood before her, dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a loose fitting jumper.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked her as her eyes tried to focus, the fog of sleep lifting from her head. She had to lick her lips before any sound would come out of her mouth.

Nodding a quick reply to his question she continued with one of her own, ‘how are you?’

Giving her a brief smile Jasper replied, ‘I’m okay. The doctors have patched me up pretty well.’ As he quickly took in her appearance however his smile faded and his eyebrows furrowed. Her face was pale and makeup was smudged around her eyes and she looked extremely tired, her eyelids drooping. She was still wearing the short black dress she had worn for their night out two days ago but it was now covered with a large blue jumper – something he was guessing had come out of the bag that had been brought from the palace for Liam. Her feet were bare as she had kicked off her heels and her legs were now tucked under herself and her curled up position in the armchair made her look small and vulnerable.

‘How long have you been sat in here?’ he asked her carefully, his heart clenching at the thought of her sitting in here alone for days with nothing but her anxiety to keep her company as she waited for her brother to awaken.

‘Since Liam came out of surgery,’ she told him, frowning as if it was obvious.

‘So you haven’t left the hospital in two days? You haven’t been back to the palace?’ Jasper asked incredulously.

‘I’m not leaving Liam,’ she responded defiantly, her eyes suddenly flaring to life. ‘I owed Robert a call when he died, I wasn’t there for him and then when my father died I wasn’t with him either.’ Jasper watched as Eleanor’s eyes began to fill with moisture, her voice shaking with passion and guilt, and he could tell immediately that no matter what he said she was not going to leave this room until she knew her brother was okay.

Moving forwards he bent down in front of her and took hold of one of her hands, feeling his stiches tug painfully. ‘There was no way you could have been there when Robert died and you shouldn’t feel guilty about that. Plus, you were banned from being with your father following his attack so you couldn’t have been with him either. I’m sure they’d have understood why you weren’t with them, you can’t beat yourself up over it.’

Jasper’s gentle tone made Eleanor’s eyes sting even more and she had to squeeze her eyes shut so that she didn’t have to look into his concerned eyes. ‘I’m going to be here for Liam,’ she replied simply, pushing past the lump in her throat.

‘And I’m not going to try and stop you,’ Jasper told her earnestly. Suddenly Eleanor heard him draw in a quick, harsh breath as he tried to stand up again and her eyes flew open in panic. She just caught sight of Jasper wincing before his face turned blank again.

Standing up with him she reached out to grab his shoulders supportively as he straightened, ‘you should be in bed resting,’ she told him as she met his gaze.  
Jasper scoffed slightly, ignoring the dull ache in his abdomen, ‘I’m far too busy for that. It’s a full time occupation protecting a Princess,’ he replied sarcastically.  
‘The Princess,’ she reminded him quickly, just as she had months ago.

Laughing gently Jasper smirked at her, ‘the Princess,’ he copied dutifully. ‘Can I get you anything to eat?’ he asked her, concern for her still at the fore front of his mind. Jasper frowned when she shook her head but pleased when she at least asked for a coffee.

In less than five minutes Jasper returned with two steaming paper cups of coffee and Eleanor smiled briefly when he handed one to her. However, before she could say anything he had turned and left the room again. Eleanor frowned at the door, perplexed as to his sudden exit, but a few moments later he returned again, this time carrying a small plastic chair.

‘I thought you were leaving,’ Eleanor told him when he returned, not wanting to admit how pleased she was that he hadn’t. It scared her how much calmer and safer she felt in his presence.

‘If you’re staying here then so am I,’ Jasper replied matter of factly, placing the chair besides Eleanor and lowering himself into it slowly.

Eleanor felt warmth spread through her that he wanted to stay with her, but she squashed it immediately, reminding herself that this was his job after all. Again she saw Jasper wince and her eyes followed his hands as they slowly eased his jumper up from his stomach to reveal his white bandage which now had a small stain of red blood on it.  
Now it was Eleanor’s turn to wince. Realising that Eleanor was looking Jasper repositioned his jumper quickly, not want to cause alarm. He didn’t want her to send him back to a hospital bed of his own.

‘Does it hurt?’ Eleanor asked in a concerned tone. ‘You don’t have to stay here, you should go and rest.’

‘It’s manageable,’ Jasper replied, trying to seem relaxed and unconcerned. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ When Eleanor scowled at his stubbornness he added, ‘it’s worth the pain to be here with you and know you’re okay.’

He almost thought he saw Eleanor blush at his last words but it must have been a trick of the light – Eleanor doesn’t blush! Reaching over to hold her hand he smiled at her and was relieved when she smiled slightly back at him, clearly giving up on trying to get him to leave.

After a few minutes he watched as Eleanor’s eyes began gently closing again before she shook her head abruptly. ‘You should get some sleep. I’ll wake you up if anything changes with Liam,’ he told her.

‘Are you sure?’ Eleanor asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

‘Of course,’ he replied, about to add ‘you have my word’ before he stopped himself, knowing his word held no value for Eleanor.

Eleanor felt herself still instinctively as Jasper leant towards her then, placing a gentle chaste kiss on her mouth before pulling away. ‘You need to rest,’ he told her as he settled into his chair. Closing her eyes again Eleanor finally let herself relax and she fell asleep almost immediately, the taste of Jasper’s lips on her mind.

Jasper turned instantly when he heard the sound of the door to the room opening and as soon as he caught sight of the figure that entered the room he released his grip on Eleanor’s hand, nudging her gently awake.

‘Ah, bodyguard,’ the Queen purred once she saw him, ‘I hear that you’ve finally done your job and actually protected my daughter for once.’ Jasper bristled at her derogatory, mocking tone as he stood to greet her.

‘Your majesty,’ he replied formally, bowing his head slightly although he hated himself for it. After everything that had happened the Queen did not deserve his respect.  
‘How is my son?’ she asked him, directing her attention to Liam.

Jasper’s first sign that Eleanor was awake was the sound of her scoffing behind him and she too stood to meet her mother. ‘So now you’re interested again?’ she asked icily, ‘it’s so hard to keep up with you. I mean considering that you didn’t come and visit him at all yesterday I figured that you weren’t bothered about him, probably seen as though he isn’t the future king anymore.’

Jasper tensed at Eleanor’s bitter tone, knowing that a battle was likely about to take place. He caught the fire in Helena’s eyes as she turned to face her daughter, knowing that a similar flame was likely reflecting back at her in Eleanor’s eyes.

‘I have had constant updates on his condition,’ Helena spat back, ‘of course I am interested! How dare you make such accusations!’

‘Getting touchy because you know I’m speaking the truth are we Queen?’ Eleanor replied, her voice full of disgust.

‘Outside now!’ Helena suddenly yelled, pointing at the door to the room.

‘Unlike you I don’t want to leave Liam,’ Eleanor replied in a sarcastically upbeat tone, ‘I’m staying here but do feel free to leave yourself.’

‘I would like a word in private Eleanor,’ Helena spat, practically vibrating with rage. Eleanor smiled at the fact that she had clearly had an effect on her mother yet she remained where she was, folding her arms defiantly.

‘You have always been-‘ the Queen began before Jasper interrupted her. He knew this power battle may go on for a while and he wanted to try and calm the situation before it was too late.

‘I don’t think that this level of noise and hostility is really helping Liam. I’ll stay in here and I’ll alert you to any signs of a change in his condition,’ Jasper told Eleanor quietly, playing on her love for her brother to get her and the Queen out the door.

Eleanor glanced anxiously at her brother once before she nodded, marching out of the room with clenched fists.

‘The bodyguard comes to the rescue again,’ the Queen purred sarcastically as she followed her daughter out of the room.

Once they were finally gone Jasper let out a deep breath, revelling in the silence. Looking over at Liam and then glancing quickly at the door he moved over to the bed once he was sure the coast was clear. He knew this was his only chance.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the needle with one hand as the other ran down Liam’s arm in search of a vein. Within moments he had found one and his hand was poised and ready to stab the pointed needle into the pale skin of his arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	16. Unexpected Visitor

Eleanor grunted loudly as she forcefully barged open the door to her brother’s room, letting out all of her frustration on the piece of blue plastic. Her mother was intolerable. Despite the fact that her brother was fighting for his life in intensive care the Queen’s focus was solely on one of the Palace’s yearly gala’s, an event which got even more ridiculously extravagant each time. This year her mother and Cyrus had decided the theme of an enchanted forest, the Royal ballet performing dances dressed as pixies on a stage designed to look like giant toadstool while the guests were served by waitresses dressed as fairies.

Her mother insisted that the event should still go ahead despite her brother’s injuries, that it would allow the monarchy to prove their resilience and that these attacks could did not scare them. But Eleanor was disgusted that her mother was even still thinking of her Royal calendar at a time like this, when surely her every waking thought should be on her only surviving son’s fate.

‘How dare you accuse me of not caring about my son?’ the Queen had spat at Eleanor as they faced each other down the corridor from Liam’s room, like two animals preparing for a fight.

Rolling her eyes Eleanor met her mother’s harsh gaze without so much as flinching. ‘You’re not exactly in the running for mum of the year are you?’ she replied icily.

‘Being the Queen of England is a full time job. I can’t just drop everything at the click of a finger!’ her mother responded, her voice as harsh as her stare.

Scoffing Eleanor’s expression turned to one of disbelief, ‘you can if your son is shot! I’m sure Cyrus can cope while you attend your son’s hospital bed!’

‘It appears that Liam already has enough people here,’ the Queen sneered, hinting indiscreetly at Jasper’s presence.

‘Jasper saved my life,’ Eleanor ground out through clenched teeth, feeling the desperate need to come to his defence. ‘You should be thanking him.’

‘I guess I owe it to him to return a certain favour,’ Helena drawled, her voice full of humour and spite.

Eleanor felt her body tense, her fists clenching as her mouth flattened in a tight line. ‘I think we’re done here,’ Eleanor replied, turning to walk away before she did something she might regret.

‘Not so fast. I need to talk to you about the enchanted gala,’ her mother replied, her voice serious and professional again, although a smirk remained on her face.

‘What?’ Eleanor barked, now practically shaking with rage. ‘Surely you’re not expecting the gala to still go ahead? It’s in 2 weeks and Liam won’t-‘

‘Well of course we’re still holding the gala! It’s a yearly tradition!’ her mother replied as if it was obvious, ‘the invitations have already been sent out and it would be unfair to the public to cancel what may be their only chance to ever visit the palace.’

‘Don’t even try and claim that this event is for the public! It’s for you and Cyrus and your pompous, obnoxious friends!’ Eleanor replied, her voice rising in incredulity. ‘Anyone would understand if you cancelled-‘

Once again the Queen interrupted her, not even caring what she had to say on the matter. ‘The gala is going ahead and that’s final,’ she told Eleanor bluntly, ‘you have a dress fitting arranged for Thursday afternoon.’ With that the Queen turned and strode away, her nude heels clicking on the tiled floor of the hallway.

For a few moments Eleanor could only stand and stare at her mother’s retreating back, trying to quell the urge to throw something at her – that would wipe the smirk from her face.

Eventually Eleanor had made her way back to Liam’s room. Her anger still bubbling under the surface, only eased slightly as she let out some of her rage on the door.  
She was so caught up in her anger that it took her a few minutes to realise that she was now alone in Liam’s room, Jasper having disappeared. Suddenly realising this she stopped her pacing, her fights unclenching as confusion and a slight hint of panic replaced her rage.

Moving to open the hospital room door again she stuck her head out, glancing at the guard stood outside the room. Narrowing her eyes at him as he watched her in confusion she skipped any introduction even though she didn’t think she had ever met him before, ‘Where’s Jasper?’

‘Who?’ the guard asked her, furrowing his brows as if searching his mind for information.  
Rolling her eyes at the guard’s incompetence she sighed, ‘my bodyguard. Tall guy with light brown-blonde hair?’ she prompted. Very handsome with striking blue eyes that almost appear to sparkle she added in her head.

‘Oh!’ the guard suddenly exclaimed, ‘he left about 10 minutes ago, not long before you came back.’

‘Did he say where he was going?’ Eleanor asked. Geez, this is like getting blood out of a stone. When the guard shook his head at her she gave up, turning back into the room and closing the door behind her. If he was an example of the Royal guards hired to protect her family it was no wonder her brother was now lying in intensive care.

Walking over to her brother she reached out to clasp his hand with one of hers, her free hand rising to touch his forehead briefly. She was relieved to find that his body temperature was starting to return to normal and she turned to look at the machines surrounding him. Her eyes followed the line of one of the wires that was attached to his chest, watching the trace of his heartbeat that was displayed on the screen, almost soothed by its regular pattern.

Satisfied that her brother’s condition was still stable she moved to sit back on her chair, curling her legs up underneath her as she reached into her pocket for her phone.  
‘Jaspurr, where R U?’ she typed out, sending him the text that was so common she might as well have it saved as a shortcut.

Jasper knew that he had to act quickly so that he could return to the hospital before Eleanor got too suspicious. He kept his expression stoic as he marched down the palace corridor, entering the Princess’s bedroom with purpose before closing the doors firmly behind him.

Eleanor’s scent hit him immediately and Jasper had to pause for a second, closing his eyes as he let out a sigh of relief that she was still alive. He didn’t know what he would do with himself if anything had happened to her, the guilt would probably eat him alive and he didn’t even want to think about what it would do to his heart.

Ever since his sister’s death he had considered himself a fairly hard and determined person – or at least that was what he tried to portray to the world, keeping his more delicate side hidden. However, since meeting Eleanor he had found his emotional side flaring to life, becoming harder and harder to ignore. More and more often he found himself letting down his barriers when he was with Eleanor, allowing his emotions to control his mouth momentarily and it scared it that she could have such an effect on him. He was scared of how much he cared about her when he knew she would never feel the same.

Shaking away thoughts of emotion he opened his eyes, trying to focus on the task at hand. Striding forward he immediately moved towards Eleanor’s bed and reached out to grab one of her pillows. Running his hand gently across it he smiled slightly, remembering the many nights they had shared in this bed.

It took him a few minutes to find what he was looking for and he had to pull back the covers, his hands roaming across the sheets until he spotted one. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the small, transparent plastic bag he needed and pulled it around his hand so that he could pick up the long, dark brown hair without touching it. As he sealed the bag he felt a small stab of guilt but brushed it away quickly. This is for Eleanor’s good he told himself as he tucked the bag back into his pocket before moving to efficiently re-make the bed.

Making sure that both of his samples were in his suit pocket Jasper let out a small breath of relief that so far he had not encountered a problem. However, he knew the next part of his plan was going to be very difficult.

Exiting Eleanor’s room Jasper took a quick glance inside to make sure everything looked as it had earlier before he closed the doors firmly behind him. Re-inserting his earpiece and straightening his tie he turned and began making his way back down the corridors and towards the car which he had instructed to wait for him outside. He was barely hallway there when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks, causing him to involuntarily gasp in surprise.

‘There you are!’ the voice called out and although she didn’t say his name Jasper knew immediately it was him who was being addressed. As he turned to face the source of the voice it was as if everything was in slow motion, his mind disorientated.

When he saw the woman stood before him his eyes widened as his mind confirmed that his guess had been right. ‘Hannah?’ he breathed. Although she was now much taller, her blonde hair longer, he recognised her instantaneously.

The girl smiled broadly at his greeting, showing almost perfect white teeth. Biting her lip slightly as if suddenly unsure of herself she scuffed one of her trainers across the patterned carpet. ‘Hey you, it’s good to see you’re alive,’ she replied jokily, her voice full of warmth.

Suddenly the two old friends were moving towards each other and within moments they were wrapped in a tight embrace, squeezing each other tightly. ‘It’s so good to see you,’ Hannah whispered as she felt moisture flood her eyes.

‘Wh-What are you doing here?’ Jasper asked incredulously, unsure whether what he saw was actually real.

Pulling away slightly so she could face him Hannah told him simply, ‘I got a phone call a few days ago to say you’d been in involved in an attack - that you’d been shot and were lying in a hospital bed. It took me some time to get the money together for the plane ticket but I came as fast as I could.’

Touched that she had come all the way across the globe for him, despite the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in years Jasper felt his heart squeeze. ‘You’re my emergency contact, I guess I didn’t know who else to put. I should have told you.’

Shaking her head quickly Hannah smiled again, ‘it’s fine. Believe it or not you’re still my emergency contact on my medical form too.’

Eyebrows rising in surprise Jasper laughed, ‘really?’

‘Of course! There’s no one else I would rather be there with me in times of distress,’ Hannah told him sincerely.

‘Distress is sort of my forte,’ Jasper muttered, knowing that Hannah wouldn’t realise the extent to which that was true. ‘It appears you haven’t lost your looks since I last saw you,’ he told her as he glanced over her pretty face, noting how her eyes now seemed a lighter blue.

Laughing again Hannah blushed fiercely, her cheeks turning bright red, ‘and you’re still a heartthrob I see.’

‘Aah so you’re still a blusher!’ Jasper exclaimed humorously, ‘that always was your downfall.’

Moving her arm to stab her elbow into Jasper’s stomach jokily she froze when Jasper let out a harsh grunt of pain as she hit his barely healed wound. Scrunching his face up against the pain he let out a gasp of breath, clenching his teeth as he bent forwards slightly.

‘Oh no, I’m so sorry! I completely forgot about your wound!’ Hannah exclaimed, reaching forward to clutch his shoulders supportively as guilt hit her like a truck.

After a few moments Jasper felt the pain subside slightly and his head stopped spinning. ‘Don’t worry; the pain will go in a minute. I’m fine,’ he told Hannah reassuringly, although his voice was strained. Straightening up he did his best to smile, although it looked fake.

‘Why are you out of the hospital? Shouldn’t you be resting?’ Hannah asked in concern.

‘I’m okay honestly, it just needs to heal. I’ve got too many things to do to be lying in a hospital bed.’

‘Clearly your stubbornness hasn’t faded,’ Hannah muttered as she rolled her eyes at Jasper. ‘Here, let me see,’ she asked as she reached down to tug his shirt out from his trousers, unbuttoning the bottom few buttons so that she could pull his shirt open to reveal his bandage. She was relieved to see there was no blood showing through the material, although she suspected there might be in a minute or two.

‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ Hannah asked again, her lip biting resuming anxiously.

‘Positive,’ Jasper replied firmly, reaching forward to clasp Hannah’s chin so that he could nudge her to stop bothering her lip. ‘Come here,’ he muttered quietly before he pulled Hannah into a hug, revelling in the comforting, familiar gesture as her arms wound around his back.

Eleanor felt tears prick at her eyes as she watched Jasper pull the girl towards him. He knew there must have been a reason that he had just disappeared and clearly this girl was it. She was gorgeous and it was evident that she and Jasper had a very close relationship - one that clearly warranted Jasper leaving her alone at the hospital when he told her he wouldn’t.

Now, Eleanor could only stand and stare at the two of them as pain tore through her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	17. Without You

It felt like time had suddenly stopped and the world was no longer turning. As Eleanor stood and stared at the people in front of her hugging and laughing she felt as if her heart had momentarily stopped beating.

It surprised her how much it hurt to see Jasper being so carefree with someone else, as if she wanted him to be that way with her instead. Ironic really, seen as though carefree was the furthest thing from Jasper’s demeanour when he was with her. Clearly he didn’t feel as relaxed in her company as he evidently did when he was with the beautiful girl in front of her.

His relaxed posture and the broad grin on his face immediately told Eleanor that Jasper and this girl had a strong relationship and while Eleanor didn’t know exactly what type of relationship that was it make her chest ache to think about it. To see two people together who were clearly so fond of each other. To see the type of relationship which she secretly yearned for.

‘Eleanor?’ Jasper’s sudden shout pulled her out of her thoughts and brought her back to reality with a sharp thud. Blinking to clear the moisture which had expectantly formed in her eyes she shook her head gently.

‘Oh, there you are,’ Eleanor replied after a brief pause, trying to hide the fact that she had been stood watching them for quite some time. As Jasper turned to face her Eleanor tried to avert her gaze from where his hand now rested around the girl’s shoulders.

‘Yes, I got called back here to deal with something and then I bumped into Hannah,’ Jasper told her as he ran a hand through his hair, guilt at his earlier actions forming a solid knot in his stomach. ‘I’m sorry I left you I-‘

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Eleanor interrupted, trying to keep her expression and tone equally nonchalant. However inside a bitter voice was sneering, expecting that their meeting hadn’t been as surprising as he claimed.

Catching a glimmer of something in her eye Jasper felt himself tense. ‘This is Hannah,’ he explained to Eleanor, ‘she’s just visiting from Vegas.’

The second she heard Jasper’s words Eleanor felt as if she had been punched. The fact that this girl was also from the area that Jasper grew up made it clear to Eleanor that the conclusions she had already jumped to in her mind were probably true. Hannah was Jasper’s girlfriend, or at least she had been some form of lover of his in the past.

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you your highness,’ Hannah suddenly burst out, bowing awkwardly from down the corridor.

Nodding slightly at the girl to indicate that she could stand Eleanor tried to distract herself from what now felt like a gaping hole in her chest. ‘I should get back to the hospital,’ she murmured, beginning to turn around.

‘I’m sorry Han, I’ve got to go but I’ll see you later? There’s a great place in Camden I think you’ll love.’

Hearing Jasper speak to the girl behind her Eleanor felt the tears prickle in the back of her eyes again. Jasper sounded genuinely sorry that he had to leave this girl but he had quite easily left Eleanor alone at the hospital when he promised he wouldn’t. Plus, he must think about her a lot to have considered on where to take her to eat and he must know her well.

‘You stay here,’ Eleanor told Jasper, her back to him now. ‘The driver will take me to the hospital and there are already plenty of security members on guard there. I can manage without you.’ As she waited for a reply she desperately hoped that he wouldn’t try and face her, not wanting him to see the tears that had begun falling down her cheeks.  
 _I can manage without you._ Jasper had been ready to protest, insist that he would not leave her again. But now her final words shot through him, cutting him like a knife. He was thankful her back was to him now so that she couldn’t see the pain evident on his face as she walked down the corridor and away from him.

It wasn’t until she reached Liam’s hospital room that Eleanor allowed herself to release the emotion that was building up inside of her. The anger, not only at Jasper for not telling her about Hannah, but also at herself for believing that he might genuinely care for her and for allowing her defences down around him. The pain at seeing him so loving and happy with someone else and then the guilt that this feeling caused because she knew that she should be happy for him. She shouldn’t feel jealous over a person who she had never had. And then, almost worse than all other emotions was the loneliness and the feeling of complete desolation that accompanied it.

She had never had many friends, not genuine ones at least but ones who spent time with her because they enjoyed the privileges her status could bring. However, this had never really bothered her much as Eleanor liked to keep to herself, never trusting people enough anyway for them to become real friends. Instead she had had Robert who doted on her like the perfect older brother, helping her when she was in trouble and being the shoulder to cry on when things got tough. She had her father who she had looked up to and she had Liam who never failed to make her smile.

Now though what was she left with? A mother who seemed to despise her and a salacious uncle who took great joy in her failings and struggles. But, for a small moment she had thought that she might have Jasper too, someone who would risk his life for her and do anything to make her happy, but it reality she didn’t have him either.

Letting out a loud groan she gripped onto the back of the blue armchair, squeezing her fingers into the fabric to try and relieve some of her anger. However within a few minutes the fury had faded and as the pain tore through her body, her groans were replaced by sobs of anguish.

Jasper stood and watched as Eleanor strode away from him, around a corner and out of sight. Anxiety and guilt rolled through him in waves and he hastily ran a hand through his hair. He knew it wasn’t worth it to leave her, even if the information he was gathering may ultimately help her.

Feeling Hannah’s warm comforting hand on his arm he turned around to face her. Seeing his expression she immediately winced. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ she asked quietly.

Scoffing Jasper replied in a dry tone, ‘it’s complicated.’

‘It always is,’ Hannah murmured, ‘but I’m sure I can keep up.’

‘Are you sure about that? I get confused with it all sometimes.’

‘Try me,’ Hannah told him, her voice holding a hint of a challenge.

Once Jasper had led her back to his room and she was sitting on the bed in front of him he let out a deep sigh. ‘I really don’t know where to begin,’ he muttered, anxiously rubbing a hand across the back of his neck, ‘and don’t say the beginning,’ he added as Hannah opened her mouth to speak.

When she smirked up at him he asked her, ‘no judging okay? We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of but we can’t change the past.’ Seeing his serious expression Hannah nodded her agreement solemnly, both of their thoughts momentarily turning to Jasper’s sister’s death.

‘I was originally assigned as Eleanor’s personal bodyguard,’ Jasper began, pacing the room slowly as he told Hannah the story of him and Eleanor. He told Hannah everything, from his blackmail plot to his indiscretion with the Queen and Hannah sat quietly throughout, listening intently although her face did blanch when he got to the particularly scandalous bits. ‘So now Liam is in intensive care while her mother and uncle sit on the throne.’

Finally Jasper stopped his pacing and moved to sit beside her on the bed, his head resting against the wall. Apprehensively he stared at the girl sitting beside him, the one girl with whom he had never had a secret, the one person who knew everything about him just as he knew everything about her.

Meeting his gaze Hannah watched him for a second. As he had told his story his expressions had changed a lot, from guilt over his sex tape lie to disgust at himself for sleeping with Helena to anxiety when he spoke of Eleanor’s near misses with her attacker. However, throughout it one thing had shone clear to her. ‘So when did you fall in love with her?’ Hannah asked softly.

At first Hannah’s question made him freeze as his body filled with tension, his immediate reaction to deny what she was saying. However when he saw the understanding look in her eyes he slouched, his fight leaving his body with a long breath, as he knew that there was no point in denying it to her.

‘I’m not sure,’ he murmured. ‘It might have been when I danced with her at the masquerade ball, her eyes meeting mine with a passion that knocked the breath out of me or it might have been the day when she held her own against her mother and created her own fashion show, proving to everyone just how strong and creative she is.’

For a few moments he just sat there, staring at the wall in front of him as images of Eleanor flooded his brain. ‘I think it was probably the first night we slept together when Eleanor wasn’t drunk or high. I felt her rest her head against my shoulder as she fell asleep and I knew that there was nowhere else I would rather be, I could lay there for days with her and I knew that so long as she was safe and happy that I would be too.’

‘Have you told her any of this?’ Hannah asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

Shaking his head softly Jasper felt a humourless smile spread across his face. ‘There’s no point. She doesn’t feel the same way about me and so all it would serve to do is embarrass me,’ he muttered, adding, ‘and probably get me fired. It’s not part of the security protocol to fall in love with members of the Royal family.’

‘I think she cares more than she would like you to know,’ Hannah whispered, holding onto Jasper’s hand supportively.

‘Just not for me,’ Jasper muttered.

Shaking her head at Jasper’s stubbornness she squeezed his hand, ‘listen to your cousin, I know what I’m talking about.’

Eleanor sobbed and sobbed until her eyes had dried and her throat had become raw. As the cry’s subsided Eleanor took a deep breath, hastily wiping her hands under her eyes to remove the smudged mascara from her cheeks. As she did so she felt her inner strength rebuilding, this weak vulnerable side of her being covered by the icy, hard exterior she wore like a mask.

Her defences returned, but this time she was determined that they would be stronger than before. She wasn’t going to let Jasper Frost get to her. Instead, she was going to prove that she didn’t need him.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her phone and quickly found her blocked numbers list. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t short, but it didn’t take her long to find the number she was looking for and type out a brief text.

**Beck, it’s me. I want to see you.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	18. Having an Effect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thankyou so much to everyone who is reading! The comments and kudos really mean so much to me!! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Three days after her surprise arrival Jasper was slouched in a large armchair in Hannah’s small hotel room a few miles away from the Palace, staring at a photograph of Eleanor in the newspaper. As he read over the small black print his fingers tightened on the flimsy paper until it crumpled under his grasp.

‘Princess Eleanor looks relaxed and glowing following her recent attack as she is seen with her newest boyfriend on her arm at the Palace’s yearly gala’ one caption read, positioned below a large picture of Eleanor dressed in a flowing lilac dress, her hair falling in gentle waves around her shoulders and topped with a gold leaf crown. Standing beside her, his hand protectively wound round her hips, was a tall man that Jasper had never seen before but it was obvious that Eleanor was suddenly very fond of him.

Letting out an almost indistinct growl Jasper clenched his jaw as his eyes narrowed at the man, anger radiating through him that anyone else had the audacity to touch Eleanor in such an intimate way.

‘She’s gorgeous.’ The sound of Hannah’s voice tore broke into his thoughts, her tone light. ‘Even more so in real life than in the photos, if that is even possible.’

Staring at his cousin for a moment he muttered, ‘you’re not helping.’

The last time Jasper had seen Eleanor in person had been when she walked away from him in the corridor of the Palace, following which he had received a strict order from Ted that he was to take the rest of the week off following his stint in hospital. Despite his best efforts at protesting Ted had refused to take no for an answer, saying that it would be good for both him and Eleanor to have some time to themselves to recover from the ordeal.

Jasper had been so stunned by Ted’s final words that he had simply accepted, not understanding why there had been an emphasis on him and Eleanor spending time apart. If anything surely it would help Eleanor to be with someone who had experienced the same thing she had, who knew exactly what had happened. Plus he knew that the Palace were working on increasing their security measures so it seemed counter-productive to force a member of the Royal families personal security to take time off.

It had to be something to do with Eleanor.

‘Have you spoken to her yet?’ Hannah asked quietly. Seeing the fire in his eyes she quickly averted her gaze from his, pretending to be focussed on packing her suitcase which was lying open on the bed.

‘No,’ Jasper ground out through clenched teeth. However, when he noticed the slight blush of awkwardness to Hannah’s cheeks he sighed and put down the paper. ‘I’m sorry; I don’t mean to take it out on you. I’m just annoyed, but that’s not your fault,’ he apologised, rubbing a hand over his forehead repeatedly in frustration.

‘Maybe you’ve got it all wrong. What if Eleanor asked Ted to make you have a few days off because she knew how much you needed to rest, given that you were lying in a hospital bed mere days ago,’ Hannah suggested, trying to comfort Jasper. After everything he had gone through in his life she hated to see him this worked up.

Shaking his head forcefully Jasper rested his head in his hands. ‘That’s not it,’ he murmured, ‘if it was she would have told me herself, it doesn’t explain why she’s ignoring my calls and texts. Either I’ve done something wrong or someone has got to her and convinced her to send me away. Earlier on I was hoping that it might be the later and that her mother had something to do with it but after seeing those photos that doesn’t make sense. If Eleanor’s mother had been interfering there is no way that she would have attended that gala and looking at the clothes she was wearing it seems she has even allowed her mother to dress her. Clearly Helena isn’t the one Eleanor is mad at.’

‘But why would she be mad at you?’ Hannah asked in confusion. ‘You saved her life!’

Shrugging Jasper replied humourlessly, ‘Henstridge women aren’t easy to understand.’

As she folded one of her jumpers Hannah smiled weakly, ‘yes well, men aren’t much easier.’

‘At least I know what I want; it’s not me that’s changing my mind every time I change my outfit! One minute Eleanor is all over me and the next she looks at me like something she has scraped off the bottom of her shoe,’ Jasper responded, exasperated.

‘Have you told her that though?’ Hannah asked, turning her full attention to Jasper as it started to make sense in her head. When he looked at her with a blank stare she rolled her eyes at her cousin’s obvious stupidity. ‘Told her what you want.’

She watched then as Jasper’s face paled rapidly before her eyes, as if he had just been confronted with his worst fear. ‘Of course not!’

‘Well I think that’s what you need to do,’ Hannah told him forcefully.

‘That’s not what she wants to hear,’ Jasper scoffed, ‘trust me it’s not romantic between us, its messy and tainted. And clearly she has already found someone else who can cater for her needs,’ he drawled drily as he indicated to the newspaper.

Laughing at Jasper’s sudden lack of confidence Hannah gave him a sarcastic look, ‘since when has Jasper Frost ever given up? I remember you as a strong willed, determined teenager, but clearly as you’ve aged you’ve lost your power.’ When she saw the glimmer return to his eyes she smirked, knowing that her words had done the trick.

‘Are you testing me Hannah Nichols?’ Jasper drawled as he stood up to face her, ‘don’t forget which one of us can pin the other to the ground in less than 5 seconds.’

‘Go and tell her how you feel,’ Hannah chuckled, ‘don’t let some English pretty boy steal the woman you love.’

‘Oh don’t worry, there’s no competition between us and Eleanor will see that. Come on, I’ll take you to the airport on my way to the palace.’

As Eleanor glanced over the newspaper article in front of her she felt a small smile spread across her face - Her plan had worked! The paparazzi had soaked up every soppy line she’d told them about Beck and of course he had behaved as the perfect gentleman, escorting her around the gala and sucking up to her mother. She had to admit that she had enjoyed some aspects of the day, although it still sickened her that the event had gone ahead at all with her brother still in hospital, but she was looking forward to seeing Jasper’s reaction to the photos even more.

‘Are you sure your wife won’t be bothered about these photos?’ Eleanor asked Beck, her voice sickly sweet.

‘I’ll explain them to her, we know that the paparazzi have got the wrong idea and I’m sure she’ll understand that,’ Beck replied. Although he was trying to act nonchalant Eleanor could tell that he was worried about his wife’s reaction by the way he was fidgeting with his hands nervously.

Standing up and moving in front of him Eleanor smiled. She needed him to stay as long as possible so that she could continue trying to make Jasper jealous and she knew that if he was worried about his wife there was a strong chance that he would bolt. ‘Yeah I’m sure you’re right, you can explain it to her when you go home,’ she murmured.

Eleanor was surprised to find that speaking those words didn’t bother her and nor did talking about Beck’s wife, unlike in the past when any mention of her caused severe pain in her chest. Now however, she didn’t even flinch and she knew that was entirely to do with Jasper.

Trying to force thoughts of him out of her head she quickly reached her hands up to cup Beck’s head before bringing his mouth down to meet hers for a chaste kiss. Although she didn’t have the same feelings for Beck anymore she still enjoyed kissing him, he was still the same very handsome man of course.

Just as she was about to pull her lips away she heard a loud noise and her eyes flew open immediately to face her doors, tearing her face away from Beck’s. However she was not prepared for the sight which she encountered when she did.

Jasper froze in position, his hand still holding onto the door handle as he hovered over the threshold to Eleanor’s room. He was used to simply entering Eleanor’s room whenever he needed to, the formality of knocking not seeming to fit with their tumultuous relationship, and the thought to do so had not even crossed his mind but it was clear that he had now walked into something he shouldn’t have.

He was about to close the doors and walk away when he saw Eleanor swing her head round to face him, her eyes widening when she saw him. As he glanced over her he noticed how her hands were positioned softly on the man before hers face, her grip on him appearing weak. Also as he thought about it he realised that her face was not flushed, her hair was not tousled and her clothing was not dislodged, all of which indicated that he had not disturbed a moment of passion. Not like the ones that he and Eleanor frequently shared anyway.

‘Can I have a word your highness?’ Jasper asked, his voice firm and forceful.

Eyes full of fire Eleanor shot a furious look at Jasper, ‘I’m a little busy at the moment,’ she spat out.

‘Yes well, I’m sure you can get back to this as soon as we’re done talking if you wish,’ Jasper drawled, hoping that she would choose not to.

Instead of waiting for a response Jasper simply turned on his heel and moved away from the doors, waiting a few feet down the corridor for her in a corner that was just out of sight from her room. He was only waiting a few seconds before she appeared, her face like thunder.

‘How dare you just burst into my room like that!’ Eleanor spat at him, ignoring any introduction.

‘Clearly I didn’t interrupt anything too exciting or you would still be in there with him,’ Jasper drawled. ‘If what you shared was so passionate I doubt you would have even heard me enter, your senses too preoccupied.’

Surprised by his response Eleanor paused for a moment, narrowing her eyes at Jasper. ‘How do you know it wasn’t getting to that stage?’

‘I don’t. But I do know that with some people it’s at that stage all the time.’

Eleanor felt a flush spread across her skin when she heard Jasper’s softly spoken words, his message clear. Abruptly her mind was filled with images of her and Jasper together, his hands on her body and his mouth on hers.

Shivering she could only watch as Jasper smirked, clearly guessing where her thoughts were. Moving slowly yet gracefully like a jungle cat he moved towards her, forcing her backwards until her back was pressed up against the wall behind her. ‘So can he make you feel the way I can?’ Jasper whispered in her ear as he lifted a hand and ran a finger ever so slowly down her arm, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

Swallowing she averted her gaze, the twinkle in his eyes driving her pulse crazy. ‘You’re not as good as you think you are Jasper,’ she told him, trying to keep her voice firm. ‘No, you’re much better’ she added in her head.

Chuckling softly Jasper proceeded to move one of his hands so that it rested on the wall, effectively trapping her between it and his body as his hand ran lazily back up to her shoulder before moving across her collarbone to the base of her throat. ‘Oh really?’ he asked in disbelief. ‘I don’t believe you so how about we do a little test to see if you’re lying or not?’

When Eleanor gave him a confused glance he smiled, ‘I can feel your pulse beneath my finger. So how about I keep track of it while we stand here and I can see if it changes? If it rises I’ll know that I am having an effect on you,’ Jasper proposed.

Breathing heavily Eleanor was actually grateful that her pulse was already racing, surely it couldn’t go any higher? ‘Fine,’ she spat out, ‘you have one minute.’

Leaning forward Jasper gently kissed the spot where his finger had just sat, allowing his tongue to gently trace the little hollow created by her collarbone. When he pulled back he couldn’t help but smile as he saw that Eleanor had closed her eyes, clearly having to work at steadying herself.

Leaning back down he pressed small gentle kisses and bites along her neck and shoulder, drawing patterns with his fingers on her skin at the same time. As his finger ran down her chest and between her breasts he heard her breath hitch and he already knew that he had won. However, he found he didn’t want to stop just yet.

Following the path of his finger with his mouth Jasper licked his tongue down her sternum and in-between her breasts as his hand caressed her left breast through the thin material of her top and bra. After a few seconds without protest he hooked his hand into her top and under her bra so that his palm was firmly cupping her breast, her pink nipple pressing into his skin.

When he felt the evidence of arousal he looked up to meet Eleanor’s gaze and he knew that the pool of desire he saw in her eyes was surely reflected back at her in his. Slowly he moved his finger around her areole a few times before he moved his hand down, skimming over the smooth skin of her waist. He was glad that he was leaning against the wall as he didn’t think he would be able to stand on his own.

Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut again as Jasper’s hand traced along the skin of her stomach and around her belly button before moving towards her waist. Although his touch was light it felt as if it was leaving a trail of fire behind it as desire shot through her blood. When he moved his hand around to her back and pulled her against him she couldn’t stop the quite moan that escaped her mouth when she felt his firm body pressed against hers.

Opening her eyes in surprise she watched as Jasper stared at her for a few minutes before his mouth came crashing down on hers. As it did Eleanor felt her arms move and wind around his neck of their own volition, trying in vain to pull him even closer. When his tongue ran along her closed lips she opened them immediately, allowing him access to the depths of her mouth so that his tongue could slide along the length of hers.

Jasper felt hot desire fill him the second he felt Eleanor’s soft, plump lips beneath hers and he knew that he was not going to let anyone else take her away from him. Ever.

After a few moments Jasper bit down gently on her bottom lip as he pulled his face away, his hand returning to rest lightly at the base of her throat. ‘I think I’ve proven my point, your pulse is galloping,’ he drawled, his voice now hoarse with desire.

‘And what about my effect on you?’ Eleanor asked as a flush spread into her cheeks, suddenly remembering the girl she had seen Jasper with a few days ago.

‘Oh I’ll show you what effect you have on me Princess,’ Jasper whispered as he moved to capture her lips again.

‘Eleanor? What’s going on?’ The sudden sound of Beck’s firm yet confused voice made Eleanor freeze, her eyes darting to his in panic. Jasper let out a low groan as he pulled away from her to face this other man, annoyed that yet again a moment of desire between him and Eleanor had been interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	19. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone reading this and especially to those who have left kudos, it really means so much to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)
> 
> All chapters are un beta'd.

Hastily Eleanor pushed away from Jasper slightly, moving her hair away from her face with a shaky hand. It took her a few seconds to come back to reality, her skin still searing where Jasper had touched her moments before.

‘We were just er-,’ Eleanor began before realising that she didn’t know how exactly to explain who Jasper was or how to explain their current situation.

Clearing his throat Jasper smirked at seeing Eleanor speechless, a very rare sight. ‘I’m Jasper,’ he informed Beck, his voice taking on a mocking tone. ‘I presume you’re the new boyfriend? Although clearly your relationship isn’t exclusive.’

Scowling at Jasper Eleanor held her breath as she waited for Beck’s response, praying a fight wasn’t about to break out in the hallway. It was like watching two stags about to butt heads.

Narrowing his eyes at Jasper Beck tried to keep his voice level, ‘I’m Beck. And I don’t think it’s any of your business what my relationship is with Eleanor.’

Hearing the defensiveness of his tone Jasper raised a brow suspiciously, ‘so you aren’t her boyfriend?’ he asked, trying to hide his surprise.

‘Boyfriends aren’t really my thing,’ Eleanor blurted, annoyed at Beck’s apparent dislike at being called such.

‘It’s not like you to try and avoid hurting someone’s feelings, why the sudden tact?’ Jasper asked, ‘if it were someone else you’d be telling them where to go and that you aren’t interested. Not some soppy line about ‘it’s not you it’s me.’’

Turning to face Jasper with steel in her eyes Eleanor clenched her fists, ‘you don’t know anything about this, nor do you need to-‘ she began sternly before Jasper cut her off, moving closer to her.

‘There’s something else you are trying to keep hidden and I want to know what it is Princess,’ Jasper drawled, his years of training allowing him to easily sense Eleanor’s discomfort. It was weird for him to watch her skills of deflection disintegrate, she was usually so good at being aloof and secretive.

‘Beck is not my boyfriend,’ Eleanor ground out, ‘that is all you need to know. Plus, it’s pretty rich of you to accuse me of keeping secrets! You hid your American girlfriend pretty well.’ She added the last bit under her breath, not wanting him to know how much seeing him with Hannah had affected her, but she should have known Jasper would hear.

‘Wait a minute, is that why you’ve been so off with me, because you think Hannah is my girlfriend?’ Jasper asked in disbelief, the pieces of the puzzle finally falling together in his mind. ‘I admit that I have held secrets from you but I’m not the one who can suddenly pull a boyfriend out of thin air.’

Just as Eleanor was about to respond the shrill ringing of Beck’s phone filled the corridor. Jasper watched in irritation as Beck pull the device out of his pocket before he gave Eleanor a look that she clearly recognised. ‘Sorry Lenny I have to answer this,’ he murmured, reaching forward to touch her shoulder before he turned back into her room to answer his phone.

When the doors to Eleanor’s room closed behind Beck Jasper moved towards Eleanor until they were almost touching. ‘So now that he’s gone tell me honestly, is that why you’re annoyed?’ he asked.

‘Why should I be honest with you when you have never had the curtesy to be honest with me?’ Eleanor asked bitterly, her annoyance from the last few days cascading out and making her voice louder than intended.

Taking a deep breath Jasper thought for a moment before realising this may be their only chance to sort things out. ‘I’ll make you a deal. I’ll be honest with you right now if you agree to do the same. Can you do that Princess, or are you too scared to tell me the truth?’

‘I don’t care what relationship you and Hannah have,’ Eleanor ground out, ‘it’s not like there would ever be a relationship between us anyway.’

Jasper watched intently as Eleanor diverted her eyes away from his briefly and he instinctively knew she wasn’t telling him the truth. ‘So you don’t accept my deal about being honest then?’

Eleanor watched as Jasper’s eyes twinkled, nervousness clenching in her stomach. ‘Fine,’ she sighed, ‘it was a shock to see you with her and I didn’t-‘ she began before her voice faded out, not knowing how much to admit to. Would it make her vulnerable to admit to him how much it had hurt to find out that all the time they had spent together he had been in a relationship with someone else? ‘I’m the one who’s supposed to have other people on the side-lines, not you!’ she blurted.

Before he had a chance to stop them Jasper felt his eyebrows rise in surprise, ‘I thought we were finally getting past the fact I slept with your mother!’

Confused for a second Eleanor frowned, ‘I wasn’t talking about her, but thanks for reminding me of that indiscretion,’ she told him bitterly. ‘I’m talking about your girlfriend.’

‘Hannah is not my girlfriend,’ Jasper told her simply.

‘Whether or not you want to admit it, it’s obvious that you too have a relationship,’ Eleanor muttered, turning away from him.

‘Hey,’ Jasper called, grabbing her arm gently to stop her moving away from him. ‘I told you I was going to be honest didn’t I?’ he asked her rhetorically. ‘Hannah and I do have a relationship, a very close one but it’s not because she’s my girlfriend! It’s because she’s my cousin.’

Eleanor felt her mouth open in a gasp as she heard Jasper’s words, feeling as if a grey cloud had just moved from over her. ‘What?’ was all she could manage to say.

‘Hannah is my cousin,’ Jasper repeated. ‘Hannah, my auntie and uncle are the only family members I have ever trusted following my sister’s death. Han was like another sibling to me and we lived together in Vegas for a while before I moved here. I didn’t know that she was coming over but she’s my emergency contact so Ted rang her when I was in the hospital.’

Suddenly Eleanor felt tears prick the back of her eyes – she could have kicked herself for her own stupidity. When she thought back through the events of the last week she realised there had been no intimate contact that would have suggested that Jasper and Hannah had ever slept together or were romantically involved, but the look of joy in Jasper’s eyes when he had seen her had felt like a stab in the chest to Eleanor and she had immediately jumped to her own conclusion. Of course he would have been happy to see such an important family member.

‘Other than your mother I haven’t been with anyone else since I was assigned as your bodyguard, nor have I wanted to be,’ Jasper added quietly, staring at Eleanor’s face to gauge her reaction.

As Eleanor stared into the deep blue depths of his beautiful eyes she felt her chest squeeze and her stomach churn as she realised that a simple look from Jasper to another woman had caused her so much pain and caused her to suddenly become so irrational. As the implications of that began to sink in she felt panic rise in her throat. ‘Right,’ Eleanor began, anxious that she needed to create some distance between them before her emotions took over. ‘Clearly I got the wrong idea but I’m glad that you were happy to see her and-‘ she told him, speaking quickly while avoiding eye contact again.

However, before she had a chance to finish they were interrupted once again by Beck, who strode towards them with purpose, unaware of their intense conversation. Desperate for a distraction Eleanor took the opportunity. ‘Hey Beck are you okay?’ she asked, moving so that Jasper and her were no longer touching.

‘I’m sorry but I have to go home,’ Beck told her, a look of anxiousness on his face as he awaited her reaction, ‘Melanie is back early from the tour and if we’re going to make it work I need to spend some time with her before she goes away again.’

Rolling her eyes internally Eleanor felt the last thread of her patience snap. She’d only rung Beck because she was annoyed at Jasper, but she was finally sick of his pathetic-ness. Nodding, she spoke to him in a calm tone, ‘Okay, go do what you need to do.’

‘I’m sorry Lenny,’ Beck told her before moving forward to try and give her a kiss. Seeing his advance Eleanor turned her head quickly so that his lips met the side of her cheek, prickling slightly at his attempt at affection.

As he began walking down the corridor away from her Eleanor heard herself say, ‘oh and Beck, don’t bother getting in contact again,’ before adding sarcastically, ‘say hi to the wife from me!’ With that she turned on her heel with a dramatic flick of her hair and strode into her room.

As Eleanor’s last words sunk in Jasper felt his stomach clench. As he moved forwards and into her room he felt as if his legs were made of lead. When he opened the doors to Eleanor’s room he saw her leaning on the back of her vanity chair, one hand wrapped around the back of her neck. As he shut the doors behind him she turned to face him, exasperation in her eyes. ‘Will you ever knock?’

‘I think we’re past that now don’t you?’ Jasper muttered, moving towards her and ignoring her unwelcoming gaze. ‘So your relationship with Beck really isn’t exclusive is it? I guess that’s why he wasn’t more annoyed at me,’ he drawled.

Sighing loudly Eleanor straightened up and faced him, her shoulders back as if ready for battle. ‘Fuck off Jasper,’ she told him sternly.

Smirking, Jasper carried on, ignoring the dirty look she was giving him. ‘We haven’t finished our conversation, don’t think you can get out of it this easily.’

Rolling her eyes at his determination Eleanor felt the unease returning to her stomach. ‘I don’t have anything to say.’

Chuckling briefly Jasper gave her a doubtful look, ‘I don’t remember a time when you have ever not had something to say.’

Eleanor closed her eyes briefly, trying desperately to hold back the emotion that was ripping through her. She couldn’t say something she would regret.  
‘What the fuck do you want from me Jasper?’ she asked, her head pounding.

‘I want to talk to you. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this,’ Jasper told her quietly. ‘I want to know how you’re feeling.’

Surprised by his response Eleanor swallowed hard before averting her gaze. ‘I’m fine,’ she replied, almost without thinking. It had become her default reply ever since her father’s death to any questions about her.

When Jasper didn’t reply she turned to face him again. He was looking at her patiently, but it was clear that he was waiting for her to continue. Knowing that he wouldn’t leave until she answered him truthfully she did so begrudgingly. However, once she started she realised it was difficult to stop. ‘I’ve never felt so many emotions before,’ she started, rubbing a hand across her arm before she began pacing towards her bed. ‘I don’t know if it’s because there’s no alcohol or drugs in my system to dull the pain but I feel as if my head is going to combust. My father’s dead and I’m just sitting here like a useless little girl not knowing what to do as my mother and Cyrus destroy everything he ever worked for. I miss him and I, I miss you.’

Shocked by how much she had revealed Jasper felt a knot form in his stomach as he heard her words of pain and he instinctively moved forwards to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a tight hug. ‘You are not alone and you aren’t useless Princess, it’s just difficult to take down the most powerful people in the country. You’ll figure it out and I’m here for you every step of the way so long as you want me to be.’

When they pulled apart a few moments later and Eleanor lifted her head he could see the moisture in her eyes, despite her best efforts to dispel it. Shaking her head briefly to compose herself Eleanor met his gaze, ‘yes well I just need a plan of action. Those bastards may be powerful but they can’t get away with doing whatever they want for much longer.’

Smiling at her bravery Jasper realised that she clearly wanted to ignore her final words about missing him and although it pained him to do so he knew he would do so if it made her happy. However, he couldn’t deny how much the words had meant to him, causing a great heat to spread through his chest and a feeling of weightless to fill his body.

‘Your father would be proud of you,’ Jasper added, ‘I know I am.’ As he watched a small smile lift her mouth he returned the gesture, hoping desperately that the animosity between them was gone.

Eleanor could almost taste the emotion on her tongue. ‘Well, we don’t know if he even was my father,’ she muttered, moving to break the eye contact between her and Jasper.  
Almost as if it had been perfectly timed Jasper felt his phone beginning to vibrate in his pocket. What is it with phone calls interrupting us today? He thought in annoyance as he pulled it out of his pocket, his heart almost stopping as he read the name on the screen.

It was the call he had been waiting for.

Eleanor simply stood and stared at Jasper as he answered his phone, his voice abrupt and professional. ‘Jasper Frost,’ he informed his caller as he listened intently to the person on the other end of the line. ‘Yes,’ he continued after a pause, before adding ‘are you sure?’  
As Jasper raised his head to meet her gaze again Eleanor had the feeling this conversation had something to do with her. ‘Okay thank you,’ Jasper spoke into the phone, ‘I’ll be in touch.’

‘What’s going on?’ Eleanor asked curiously as Jasper put down the phone, his eyes twinkling again.

‘I’ve just received the answer to that very question,’ Jasper told Eleanor as he turned back to face her, much to her confusion. ‘It seems you may have just been handed the chance you’ve been looking for to stop Cyrus.’

Jasper couldn’t hide the smile that spread across his seductive mouth, ‘everything’s about to change Princess,’ he told her, ‘or should I say Princess Regent?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	20. Born to Wear a Crown

Hearing Jasper’s words Eleanor froze, her eyes widening in shock, ‘excuse me?’

‘Come on Eleanor, we both know you were born to have a title,’ Jasper drawled as he placed his phone back in his pocket, watching the confusion spread over Eleanor’s beautiful features.

As she crumpled her face and tilted her head to the side slightly, in a way that Jasper loved, she tried desperately to focus on the implications of his words. ‘What did you do?’ she asked suspiciously after a few moments.

‘I arranged for another DNA test. I’m not sure about you but I didn’t trust the first,’ Jasper told her honestly, shrugging his shoulders slightly as if it were no big deal.

For a moment Eleanor was stunned, words failing her. ‘You did a DNA test on me behind my back?’ she finally stammered, rage firing through her veins.

Surprised at her extreme reaction Jasper’s smirk immediately fell away from his face. ‘Didn’t you want to know for sure?’ he asked incredulously, ‘could you really have lived the rest of your life not knowing who your father was?’

‘I-‘ Eleanor began again, before pausing to gather her thoughts, dragging her hand through her tousled hair. ‘Don’t you think you should have asked me first?’ she yelled.

Letting out a short laugh of disbelief Jasper replied as calmly as he could manage. ‘You have told me multiple times that you don’t trust me and that you don’t want my help. Are you really trying to tell me that if I had come to you and asked you to give me a sample you would have agreed? That you wouldn’t immediately think I had some ulterior motive, probably including your mother?’

Eleanor was just about to throw out a harsh retort when his words sunk in and she suddenly picked up on something. ‘So if I didn’t give you a DNA sample where did you get the one from?’

Sighing slightly Jasper ran a hand anxiously across his forehead. This was the question he had been dreading, knowing that such a breach of privacy could easily end him up in prison. Again. ‘What are you going to do?’ he asked carefully, trying to gauge Eleanor’s reaction.

‘That depends on what you took from me,’ Eleanor told him seriously, her mind whirring.

‘Listen, I’ll tell you everything about it so long as you promise not to tell anyone that I did it behind your back. If they thought I took a sample from you or Liam without permission I would be straight back in that prison cell for treason,’ he pleaded.

‘And what makes you think I care whether or not you’re in prison?’ Eleanor asked, her defences jumping back up from the ruins they were in minutes ago.

Sighing heavily Jasper shook his head quickly, ‘haven’t we got past this by now? I told you earlier I would be honest with you and that’s exactly what I intend to be. I may have done some shitty things over the last few months but I can assure you I did this DNA test for you and Liam. You both have the courage and strength of someone who deserves to be wearing the crown and I couldn’t see Cyrus wearing what should rightfully belong to you any longer. If you agree to keep this one secret for me then I promise I will help you with this – I will be with you every step of the way and I will be completely honest with you if you do the same.’

When Eleanor remained quiet for a few minutes, the cogs in her head working furiously, he added, ‘you don’t want me to go to prison Eleanor, just as I don’t want to see you smothered by your uncle.’

An hour later Eleanor was watching Palace security marching down the corridor towards her Uncle’s Room, Ted meekly following behind. As they began pounding on Cyrus’s door Eleanor felt a smirk spreading across her face at finally being able to see someone stand up to her dastardly uncle.  
Jasper stood before her, stance serious as he watched intently on the scenes unfolding before him.

Dragging open his door harshly Cyrus suddenly appeared, a look of rage covering his face, his eyes bloodshot from the days drugs. ‘Would someone like to explain why the King of England is being hounded like this?’ he bellowed, trying to keep his posture straight.

Rolling her eyes at his obvious oblivion, Eleanor spoke up, stepping forward so that she was in his line of vision. ‘You are no longer the King of England I’m afraid,’ she told him sarcastically, her eyes lit up with victory.

Her words sobered him up almost immediately, his eyes visibly clearing. ‘Excuse me?’ he spat, meeting her steely gaze. ‘Do I have to remind you that you’re illegitimate? And I can’t see my perfect little brother having a bastard child can you?’ he mocked her.

Feeling her fury heat up her blood she took a step closer to him, noticing out of the corner of her eye how Jasper moved with her, ensuring that he was still slightly in front. ‘The only bastard here is you,’ she retorted, trying to keep her hands from shaking as she clenched them into fists by her sides.

His face twisting in anger Cyrus turned to the guards who were stood helplessly watching the family spat. ‘Are you going to just stand there and let a pathetic girl insult the King of England?’ Cyrus demanded, ‘I can get you all fired with the flick of a finger.’

Looking abashed one of the guards stuttered, ‘I’m afraid that, erm, we need to talk to you Sir.’

Shaking his head at his staff’s weakness Ted moved forward past the Princess. ‘Cyrus I need you to come with me,’ he told him firmly, standing firm.

‘It’s your majesty to you,’ Cyrus corrected harshly, ‘and I’m currently in the middle of something. You should know better than to interrupt me.’

Ted could feel himself straightening, pleased that he finally had a reason to stand up to the selfish and inconsiderate ass stood before him. ‘This is non-negotiable,’ Ted told him, ‘and your title is currently under investigation so I shall not be calling you your majesty for the time being.’ Before Cyrus had a chance to react Ted had turned on his heal and was making his way down the corridor, ‘follow me Cyrus unless you would like me to get my guards to move you.’

Staring at the head of security’s retreating back Cyrus was momentarily lost for words and it brought a smile to Eleanor’s face. ‘Surprised that he’s no longer bowing down to your every request?’ she asked her uncle mockingly.

Before her eyes Cyrus’s face got redder until it matched the blood red of his dressing gown, his face contorting in fury as he stormed past the guards towards her. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ he bellowed once he was before Eleanor.

Jasper watched as Cyrus progressed towards them and although he knew he was far too high to be a match for him Jasper moved in front of Eleanor, missing the surprised but appreciative look she gave his back. ‘I’m warning you not to do anything stupid Cyrus,’ Jasper drawled, keeping his voice calm as to not stoop to Cyrus’s low standards.

‘And who are you exactly?’ Cyrus jeered at Jasper, ‘the bodyguard with a crush on the once Princess? Or do you have a crush on the Queen, it’s hard for me to keep up.’

Hearing his words Jasper felt a stab in his chest, not because he cared about Cyrus’s opinion of him, but because he knew that what he was saying was likely what Eleanor was thinking a lot of the time. And he didn’t need Cyrus reminding Eleanor of his wrong doings.

‘I am the person who is going to protect Eleanor,’ Jasper replied simply, knowing that no matter what was going on in their lives he was going to do just that.

Letting out a short, sarcastic laugh Cyrus looked past him and at Eleanor. ‘At least the hired help will stick up for you Princess,’ he muttered, making her title sound like a swear word.

‘And who do you have? Even the staff here despise you.’ Eleanor retorted, her voice icy cool, ‘stop acting as if I’m any worse than you. This new information proves that actually you’re even lower than me, going to such extremes to steal the crown from your own nephew.’

Hearing the implication behind her last words Cyrus’s face froze, the colour draining rapidly from his cheeks. ‘What? Did you really think no one would find out what you did?’ Eleanor asked him sarcastically.

Clearing his throat briefly Cyrus pushed past her. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he responded, ‘but I think you may need to have a word with your mother.’

As they watched him stagger away, Jasper heard Eleanor let out a sharp breath. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked her gently, watching her face carefully.

‘I’m fine,’ Eleanor told him bluntly, still staring down the corridor.

Sighing slightly Jasper reached forwards to gently clasp her chin so that he could make her face him. ‘Honestly, are you okay?’ he asked again. When she didn’t reply for a moment he continued quietly, ‘don’t listen to what he says. You aren’t like him,’ he said fiercely.

Giving a weak smile Eleanor eventually asked quietly, ‘but what if I am?’

Almost as if she had only just heard her own question Eleanor suddenly pulled away, diverting her eyes. Before he had a chance to respond she continued, ‘anyway what does it matter? I was never going to be like Liam, it just isn’t in my blood.’

‘Shut up,’ Jasper suddenly interrupted, surprising her.

‘Excuse me?’ Eleanor burst out, pushing away from him.

Rolling his eyes Jasper relaxed his posture, ‘don’t give me that crap,’ he told her. ‘You aren’t seriously telling me that you think he’s right? That you believe him?’

‘Why shouldn’t I?’ Eleanor bit back, ‘what have I ever done that was good? I’ve had an affair with a married man, I do drugs and drink way too much, I sent you to prison-‘

‘At the time I probably deserved it,’ Jasper interjected. ‘I admit you’re not exactly a shining role model but at least you aren’t maliciously trying to ruin people’s lives!’

Sighing Eleanor turned away again, ‘its fine, I’m used to people saying shit about me. My own father said he was disappointed in me so why should I expect any different from anyone else?’

Although she tried to make her voice sound strong Jasper could sense the vulnerability underneath. While it may appear to others that she was heartless and wild, he knew that underneath she was a scared, emotional girl who needed someone to support her. ‘Your father loved you, anyone could see it. He just didn’t want you to see you hurting yourself. And neither do I, so start believing in yourself again. Where’s the persuasive, confident girl I met on my first day here who had no problem tearing apart the new member of security? Are you really telling me you’ve met your match in your mother and Cyrus?’ he asked her incredulously.

Finally meeting his eyes Eleanor smiled, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. ‘Thankyou,’ she whispered, something which nearly knocked Jasper off his feet as he felt his heart pound in response.

‘Don’t mention it,’ he smirked, ‘now, let’s go and get you this crown.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	21. A Day of Truths

The noise of a door slamming shut somewhere behind her made Eleanor jump, waking her suddenly. Blinking against the harsh light she waited for her vision to come into focus, raising her head from the hand it had been resting on. To her dismay the first thing that she saw as her eyes adjusted was her Uncle rounding her desk, a disgusted grin spread across his face.

‘It’s so good to see our reigning monarch working so hard for our country,’ Cyrus sneered as he looked down on her.

As if someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water over her, Eleanor felt herself break out of the grogginess of sleep suddenly, her eyes flashing. ‘What difference does it make to you?’ she spat at him, ‘since when have you ever cared about this country or its people?’

‘And you do?’ Cyrus asked sarcastically.

‘I care about doing everything I can to keep this place running while Liam is in hospital,’ she replied honestly. ‘And about making dad proud,’ she added in her mind.

Letting out a short, harsh laugh Cyrus smirked at her, ‘What’s the point? I’m sure Liam will mess everything up when he awakes from his coma. He’s never been very good at handling responsibility.’

Standing quickly, scraping her chair backwards across the floor Eleanor felt her blood boil. However, before she had chance to let the scathing retort she had planned roll off her tongue she heard another voice beside her.

‘I guess we’ll get to see how he handles the responsibility soon as Liam is now awake.’ Jasper spoke calmly but firmly, his stance defensive as he moved to stand slightly in front of Eleanor, as if shielding her from Cyrus’s words. She had to admit that she was very pleased to see him.

‘He’s awake?’ Eleanor asked urgently, her anger at Cyrus momentarily forgotten. She felt her heart hammering against her chest as she stared at Jasper, holding her breath.

Turning to face her Jasper felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Nodding quickly he indicated towards the door, ‘a car is waiting downstairs to take you to the hospital.’

‘The playboy Prince awakens, the world is clearly being set right,’ Cyrus sneered as Eleanor turned and began walking towards the door.

Eleanor stopped in her tracks at the sound of her vindictive uncle behind her, not turning to face him as she spoke. ‘He’s not just a Prince anymore, unlike you,’ she ground out, keeping her back straight and her head held high as she began walking again before he had a chance to respond.

‘You’re doing well.’ The sound of Jasper’s reassuring words beside her pulled her out of her thoughts and brought her back to the present. Turning to face him with a small smile she shrugged slightly, ‘I’m not so sure, but hopefully Liam will be able to take over soon. I don’t think I’m cut out to be Queen.’

‘If you mean that you aren’t malicious or ruthless enough then I think you’re right,’ Jasper told her with a smirk, ‘but you definitely have the compassion and determination needed to rule a country. I’m sure that Liam will be glad to have you around to help him when he takes the throne.’

Eleanor remained silent after that, processing Jasper’s kind words. She didn’t know what she would have done without him the last few weeks and his support had been unwavering, but she could feel unfamiliar emotions rearing their heads inside of her and she didn’t know how to handle them. Instead she found herself desperately trying to squash them down, ignoring them and focussing instead on her brother’s wellbeing.

Eleanor felt her stomach clench almost painfully as she approached her brothers hospital room, the sound of heart beat pounding in her ears. Her legs felt weak underneath her and she was slightly worried her knees were going to buckle.

Sensing her unsteadiness Jasper moved slightly closer to her side, instinctively reaching one of his arms out to wrap around her waist to hold her up.

As Eleanor pushed the door to her brother’s room open she felt her hand pause on the handle, stopping as she caught sight of the scene before her. Her mother had beaten her to the hospital and was now crouched by Liam’s bed, her hands firmly gripping one of his. As she stared at them both Helena turned to face her, quickly moving to wipe the evidence of tears away from her face.

‘I’ll give you some time alone,’ Jasper murmured to Eleanor before he gently eased away from her, making sure that she was steady before exiting the room and closing the door gently behind him.

‘Liam?’ Eleanor asked quietly as she felt tears pricking at her eyes. When he slowly opened his eyes she felt the breath leave her body and she rushed to his side.

‘Len?’ Liam asked through dry lips, cringing slightly as pain shot through his neck as he turned to face his sister, beyond relieved to see that she was safe.

Hearing her brothers pained voice Eleanor felt the tears overflow, trailing lightly down her cheeks. ‘I’m so glad you’re okay, I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you,’ she whispered as she held onto the side of his bed for support.

‘So what have I missed?’ Liam mumbled as he struggled to keep his eyes open, lying back to rest his head on the pillow, exhaustion overwhelming him.

‘You haven’t told him?’ Eleanor asked her mother immediately, turning to her in confusion. Surely this piece of information was vital?

Sniffling slightly Helena met her daughters gaze and shook her head slightly, ‘no, I guess was a little distracted.’ Eleanor stared at her mother for a few minutes, surprised by the emotion which was displayed on her face. Where was her usual stern, uncaring expression?

‘What’s going on?’ Liam asked seriously, his eyes flicking between the two family members stood before him who seemed to be locked in a silent battle.

‘Well, our mother lied about the paternity test,’ Eleanor told her brother in a harsh voice, her eyes not leaving Helena’s.

However, before Liam had a chance to react or consider the implications of his sisters words his mother spoke up. ‘Now, let me explain,’ Helena told her children in a voice which was slightly less confident than usual.

‘I told you the other day that I didn’t want to hear your excuses and nothing’s changed,’ Eleanor bit out.

‘You can’t avoid me forever Eleanor,’ Helena scolded her, but with less menace than usual. Ignoring her daughter’s fierce stare she continued, determined to get the truth out finally. ‘I’ll admit that the paternity scandal was my idea and although I can see my mistake now, it seemed like a good idea at the time.’

‘Yes, lying to your children about their biological father is always a good idea,’ Eleanor retorted sarcastically.

‘Let mum finish Len.’ Her brother’s weak voice drew her attention immediately and as she turned to face him she felt her fight drain away from her.

‘Fine, but for once can you please at least be honest?’ Eleanor sighed.

‘Lucius had overheard you two discussing your fathers decision to ask for a referendum to abolish the monarchy and from what he said it sounded like you were planning on going ahead with the bill once Liam became prince Regent. When I heard that my immediate reaction was one of panic and fear. Being the Queen has been my life for so long that I don’t know how to do anything else. I don’t know who I am or what to do outside of the monarchy.’ Helena’s voice was soft and sincere as she opened up to her children and Eleanor was surprised that her mother appeared to be opening up.

‘So I came up with the paternity plan to ensure that you didn’t get the opportunity to push the bill. Cyrus promised me he wouldn’t allow the referendum and I knew that his only aim has always been to be the King so it seemed like the perfect pairing. I would allow him to get the crown and in return he would prevent the monarchy ending.’

‘So you sold out your kids because you wanted to be the Queen?’ Eleanor asked her, but her voice was no more than a whisper.

‘I did. However I now know how terrible of a decision that was. You two are the most important things to me, not the jewels or the crown, it just took me a while to realise that. When I heard about the shooting I thought I was going to lose both of you and the pain I felt made the thought of losing the monarchy seem trivial. I’m sorry that it took such a traumatic event for me to realise the importance of family.’

Eleanor had to blink rapidly to slow her tears, her heart aching for the mother who she hadn’t known for years. Without another word Helena moved around the bed towards her and reached put to hold Eleanor’s face gently in her hands, ‘I’m sorry Eleanor, I really am.’ As Helena pulled Eleanor into a hug she felt relieved when her daughter wrapped her arms around her waist, rather than pushing her away as she expected.

When they pulled apart Helena moved a strand of hair away from Eleanor’s face carefully. ‘Your father would be immensely proud of the way you have handled the last few weeks, just as I am.’

Eleanor smiled weakly at her mother’s words, ‘thank you,’ she whispered, ‘and thank you for telling us the truth.’ Eleanor hadn’t realised how much she had missed her mother’s comforting and she felt a weight fall from her shoulders as some of their animosity seemed to fade.

‘So does the Palace know you faked the paternity test?’ Liam asked beside them, breaking the silence that had befallen the room.

‘Yes, as do the public,’ Helena told him, ‘thanks to Jasper Frost the results of a real DNA test have now been published.’

Eleanor felt a rush of awareness rush through her at the sound of Jasper’s name, her skin feeling flushed suddenly.

‘So what’s happening with Cyrus?’ Liam asked urgently, pulling himself up in the bed quickly before the pain pushed him back down. The implications of what had been revealed while he was out hitting him like a truck as his mind tried to keep up with his whirring thoughts. It had taken a while for his mind to understand fully what was being said around him but now he had caught up he could feel panic rising in his throat.

‘He was questioned by security but he claimed to have no idea that the paternity test results were fake, so no charges have been pressed against him. He’s been removed of his title but he’s still living in the Palace, all be it not very happily.’ Helena told Liam, speaking slowly to ensure that he could follow.

‘So who has the crown?’ Liam asked carefully after a few minutes.

‘You,’ Eleanor told him quietly, ‘you’re the rightful heir.’

‘Your sister is acting as Princess Regent right now and she’s doing a pretty amazing job,’ Helena added, smiling proudly at her daughter.

Liam blinked at Eleanor, his vision going cloudy as nausea began rising inside him. He was going to be King? After all this time he thought it would never happen.

‘Hey,’ Eleanor called, pulling him out of his thoughts, ‘I know you can do this. You’re going to be an incredible King and I know the public will love you! But you don’t need to worry about that right now, all you need to worry about is getting better.’

Nodding his head slowly Liam tried his best to smile at her, feeling a mixture of excitement, determination and apprehension churning in his stomach.

As Eleanor closed the door to her brother’s hospital room a few hours later she had to stop and rest her head against it lightly, letting out a long sigh of relief that her brother was doing well. Closing her eyes briefly she tried to fight off the exhaustion that was creeping into her bones, knowing that she wasn’t going to get much chance to rest with the weight of the crown baring down on her head.

‘Eleanor?’ Jasper’s gentle voice brought her back to the present and she blinked rapidly as she tried to focus and keep her drooping eyelids open. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked her carefully.

Eleanor felt a smile pulling up the corners of her mouth and she let it show, too tired to pull up a mask. ‘Yeah,’ she told him quietly. ‘I actually think everything is going to work itself out. Liam is getting better and when he’s ready to take the Crown I know he’ll be an amazing ruler. I just have to keep up the pretence that I know what I’m doing up until then and everything will be fine,’ she smirked.

‘How are things with your mother?’ Jasper asked as they began walking down the corridor, tension evident in his voice.

‘You know what, they’re actually better than they have been in years. She actually told me the truth today about the paternity scandal,’ she told Jasper with another smile.

Jasper couldn’t help but stare, the beauty of her smile mesmerising him. It was such a rare sight and he felt like if he looked away he might lose it forever. ‘I’m sorry,’ he mumbled as they walked. When she gave him a questioning look he continued, ‘my actions probably didn’t help your relationship and I should have thought about that before I did what I did. I was extremely selfish.’

Eleanor’s steps faltered as she heard Jasper’s sincere apology, her heart aching. ‘Thank you,’ she told him, avoiding eye contact as she continued to make her way forwards. ‘That’s the first time you’ve said sorry without trying to justify your actions.’

As that truth hit him Jasper felt his mind whir, his words from the night under the bridge replaying in his head. She was right. When he thought about things now he immediately thought about how they impacted Eleanor, not about the consequences for him. The revelation knocked him back for a second, when had he ever considered another person’s feeling before his own? As he tried to pinpoint the exact moment that the change in him had occurred he tried to keep his face stoic, not wanting to show Eleanor any of his unspoken thoughts.

‘I’m excited,’ Eleanor told Jasper, bringing him abruptly out of his own head. ‘It looks like we’ll soon have a coronation to hold.’

Watching her smile again Jasper swallowed hard, her simple use of the word ‘we’ causing him more relief and happiness than was normal. The princess really had managed to get under his skin and into his heart and he knew that there was little chance things were going to end well between them after the way he had hurt her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.
> 
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	22. Sweet Dreams

It had only been a week since Liam had awoken in hospital but to Jasper that week felt like a lifetime. Liam was doing well, exceeding doctor’s expectations every day. He was now up and mobile, able to walk around the hospital although it was rather stiffly, and his wounds were healing quickly. Jasper however felt as though he had been shot again himself.

He was exhausted. The past week his mind had been running on overdrive, his thoughts constantly coming back to his feelings for Eleanor and what was going to happen between them. He knew that Eleanor would never feel about him the way he felt about her, he was surprised she even spoke to him at all, but he didn’t know how much longer he could try and hide his true emotions. Seeing her everyday but knowing he would never get the chance to touch her or hold her in the way that he longed so desperately to do was ripping open a hole inside himself and he knew that he needed to make a decision and make it soon. Stay at the palace and ignore his own feelings or leave and give both him and Eleanor the chance to start afresh and forget about their tainted past.

‘Jasper?’ Eleanor repeated for the third time, her voice a mixture of annoyance and concern. It wasn’t like Jasper to zone out on the job but now she thought about it he’d been doing it a lot recently. As she gave him a quick once over she noticed that he looked unbelievably tired, his under eyes a deep shade of brown.

‘Sorry,’ Jasper suddenly replied, shaking his head briefly as if to dispel his thoughts. ‘What were you saying?’

Narrowing her eyes at him slightly she turned to face him fully, ignoring the seating plan in her hands for a moment. ‘Are you alright?’ she asked carefully, a twinge of worry settling itself in her gut.

‘Yeah, just tired that’s all,’ Jasper replied hastily, but Eleanor knew he was just trying to brush off her concern.

‘Why? Have you not been able to sleep?’ Eleanor continued, ignoring his attempts at dismissal.

Jasper had to try hard to contain his surprise at her simple question, expecting her to have just dropped the subject and move onto something more important. The look of concern in her eyes knocked the air out of him momentarily and he had to tell himself not to look into that too deeply. ‘Erm, no not really. My minds been too active at night for sleep. It’s fine, it’s probably just all the anticipation for the coronation.’

After a moment Eleanor spoke quietly again, ‘you know you don’t really have to be here for this, my mum and I can sort out the seating arrangements.’

‘No, I want to be here,’ Jasper replied immediately and Eleanor felt a warmth begin to bloom in her chest, but it dimmed when he continued, ‘it’ll be easier for us to make sure everything is secure if we know who will be at the coronation and where they should be sat.’

Eleanor simply nodded, feeling stupid for letting Jasper Frost influence her feelings once again. Straightening her shoulders she cleared her throat briefly before turning her attention back to the chart in her hands.

The planning ran smoothly for the rest of the day, but while the day was uneventful it was very long and Eleanor couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief when she was finally able to tug her heels off her sore feet in the evening. She was stood in her room, leaning again the ornate carvings that made up her bed frame, her dark hair billowing out around her head.

‘So what are your plans for the evening?’ she asked Jasper as he closed her bedroom doors quietly behind them.

‘Well that depends on what your plans are princess,’ Jasper replied smoothly, taking his jacket off and placing on the back of her vanity chair casually. He had come to treat her bedroom as a place he could relax, or at least more so than anywhere else in the palace, and Eleanor was pleased that for once she had found a bodyguard who didn’t treat her room so formally.

‘It’s pretty late and the meeting tomorrow is important so I think I’m just going to relax and go to bed,’ Eleanor responded as she began the lengthy task of taking off her jewellery. When she glanced up she noticed Jasper was stood watching her, as if waiting for a signal for what he should do next. ‘You can finish being on duty, I’m pretty sure the night staff have already started their shifts,’ she told him, not sure whether he would leave following her news.

Jasper nodded once before replying, ‘I’ve just seen Matthew outside so my shift is over.’ He knew that he should leave, that this was his opportunity to bid Eleanor goodnight but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to say the words. When Eleanor raised her eyebrows at him in silent question he ran a hand across the back of his neck, surprisingly nervous. ‘My morning shift starts pretty early in the morning for the meeting so-‘ he began, before Eleanor guessed the meaning behind his words.

‘You can sleep in here if you want,’ she told him with a small smile, before she made her way over to her walk in closet. Jasper split his nights between his room and hers, but he always insisted on sleeping on the sofa when he stayed with her. She felt safe with him in the room, despite everything that he had done in the past, and she had no doubt in her mind now that she could trust him, so it didn’t bother her at all when he wanted to occupy her couch for the night.

When she returned from her closet dressed in loose pyjamas and with her face free of makeup she slipped into her bed wordlessly, glancing briefly at Jasper who was now laying on her sofa under one of her blankets, his head propped up on a pillow that although was probably worth thousands, didn’t look very comfortable. He was no doubt dressed in the dark t shirt and lounge pants he now kept in her room for situations like this. For nights when he stayed in her overnight ‘in the interests of the princess’s safety.’

They chatted quietly for a short while, Jasper making Eleanor laugh as he joked about one of the assistants who had been helping them with designing the evening meal for after Liam’s coronation, before they said goodnight. However, even once the room fell into silence Eleanor found sleep illusive, unable to relax entirely as she suddenly realised that Jasper was likely uncomfortable and that that could be one of the reasons he was struggling to sleep.

‘Hey,’ she called out softly, not really knowing what to say. It seemed ridiculous that she should suddenly be shy around him after everything they’ve been through. ‘You don’t have to sleep on the sofa if you don’t want, I don’t mind you sleeping in the bed. If that’s why you can’t sleep, because you’re uncomfortable then-‘ she told him, before he interrupted her.

‘Oh, no that’s not it. Don’t worry that’s not why I can’t sleep, you don’t have to feel bad.’ He responded, sitting down on the sofa anyway.

As Eleanor watched him she was surprised to feel a pang of rejection at his words but she quickly tried to squash it down. Why would he want to sleep in the bed with her? He probably wasn’t interested in her in that way anymore.

As Jasper settled down on the sofa she tried to do the same, pulling the duvet over her and trying to get comfortable in the luxurious bed. However, despite the warmth and comfort of the bed she too couldn’t fall asleep now, her mind hyper aware of Jasper and his movements at the other end of the room.

When Jasper rolled over again, or at least tried to on the small couch, and sighed for about the hundredth time Eleanor sat up abruptly in the bed.

‘Seriously Jasper, get in the bed.’ Eleanor’s sudden words behind him startled him, he had thought she must have fallen asleep ages ago seen as though she hadn’t made any movements. ‘I’m not taking no for an answer, you’re clearly uncomfortable over there so stop being so stubborn and _get in the bed._ ’

Feeling his back stiffen at her sudden and firm invitation Jasper moved from the sofa quietly without saying a word, padding across the room until he stood at the side of the bed furthest from her. He felt his breath hitch in his throat as he looked down on her, seeming tiny under the masses of quilting. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered as he pulled back the covers and lay down beside her, feeling the warmth of her body and resisting the urge to snuggle into her side. Far from being able to relax, Jasper found himself laying as still as possible, listening to Eleanor’s shallow breathing.

Feeling the dip of the mattress beside her Eleanor felt herself tense suddenly before she forced herself to relax. It was stupid of her to suddenly feel self-conscious around Jasper, but somehow this felt different. It felt intimate.

‘Are you asleep?’ Jasper’s sudden whisper caught her off guard and she found herself turning to face him before she even realised what she was doing.

As Eleanor turned to face him, looking young and innocent with her face wiped clear of makeup, Jasper felt himself let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. ‘You don’t look very comfortable curled up on the edge of the bed, I can leave if you want me to.’

Shaking her head gently Eleanor smiled slightly, ‘I just…’ she began before realising she wasn’t sure what she had been about to say. ‘What is this Jasper?’ she asked eventually, her voice strained. As she watched Jasper’s eyes widen at her question she immediately regretted what she’d said, but before she had a chance to take her words back Jasper responded in a hoarse voice, clearly understanding the meaning behind her words.

‘What do you want it to be?’ They lay in silence for a few minutes, Eleanor avoiding eye contact as she found herself too scared to talk for the first time in her life. What had happened to her, she used to be so strong and fierce?

‘You are strong and fierce princess,’ Jasper told her earnestly as he reached out to gently move a lock of silky brown hair away from her eyes. He couldn’t help but chuckle slightly as he watched her expression change to one of confusion and then panic, her eyes widening and her face draining of colour. Clearly she didn’t mean to say that out loud.

‘I guess I’ll go first,’ Jasper continued, trying to make her relax again. ‘I know that I’ve hurt you so much in the past and that no matter what I do I’ll probably never be able to make up for that, but I’m here for you to be whatever you want me to be. This can be whatever you want it to be.’

Nodding slightly Eleanor could only whisper, ‘okay,’ the emotions welling inside of her too strong for her to ignore. What did she want this to be?

As if sensing her internal turmoil Jasper continued quietly, ‘you don’t have to decide anything right now Princess, you can have as much time as you need. After everything I’ve done time is the least I can give you.’

Squeezing her eyes shut she felt Jasper press a gentle kiss to her forehead.  
‘Go to sleep princess, I’ll be here when you wake up. Always.’

Jasper’s last word, uttered in a voice so full of sincerity it made Eleanor’s eyes fill with tears, seemed to physically pull at something deep in Eleanor’s chest. Not wanting to show weakness in front of Jasper she rolled over, keeping her eyes shut, so that she was facing away from him. But, not wanting to be too far away she edged backwards slightly and was relieved when Jasper moved to close the small distance between them so that his chest was pressed against her back, making her feel secure and warm.

She knew she probably shouldn’t be doing this but she’d question her decisions in the morning, for now she just wanted to sleep in the embrace of the man that held a special place in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	23. Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I can't believe this fic has surpassed 46,000 words, that's crazy! When I began writing this last summer I didn't expect anyone to be interested and for so many people to have read and appreciated this fic is absolutely amazing! I just want to say thankyou to everyone who has been reading, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> I'm also on tumblr @RoyallyJeleanor so feel free to come and say hi!

Eleanor woke slowly, sighing deeply as she snuggled further under the comfort of the covers, revelling in the warmth. As she did so she felt the weight of something strong around her waist. She opened her eyes briefly before wincing as the light burned her pupils, her eyes protesting fiercely at being opened so soon. Turning slightly and opening her bleary eyes again she saw the reason for the weight around her stomach and the memories from last night washed over her immediately.

As she stared at Jasper, his face looking peaceful as he slept, she felt a warmth bloom inside her chest and along with it came a great wave of panic. What had she done? She’d invited Jasper into her bed and shown him her weakness - the weakness she only seemed to feel around him. She could act as the reigning monarch of an entire country but she couldn’t control her emotions around Jasper Frost?

‘Good morning.’ Jasper’s hoarse, sleep laden voice broke her out of her thoughts.

The sound of Jasper’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts abruptly and she could almost feel the burn as she felt a blush spread across her pale cheeks. Moving away from Jasper she pulled the covers away from her in an over exaggerated movement before stepping out of the bed.

Sighing slightly Jasper pulled himself into a sitting position as he watched Eleanor’s movements with a mixture of annoyance and humour. ‘Will you ever stop trying to run away from?’ he muttered half to himself as he swung his legs out of the bed and rubbed his tired eyes.

‘I wasn’t-‘ Eleanor began in defence before he gave her a knowing look that stopped the words on her lips. Rubbing a hand across her forehead in agitation she stalked towards the bathroom.

‘So are we just going to ignore our conversation from last night?’ Jasper asked quietly, ‘everytime I think we’re making progress you build your walls up again.’

Freezing where she was halfway across the room she felt her back stiffen. ‘Well it’s pretty hard to break the habits of a lifetime Jasper,’ she replied in a voice which sounded almost broken, ‘I’m trying.’

Sucking in a sharp, pained breath at her honest answer Jasper felt his heart ache for the Princess who had been hurt so much. ‘Yeah, I know far too much about defence mechanisms so I understand Princess,’ he told her gently, ‘I won’t push, just know that I’m here.’

Jasper caught the slight nodding of her head as she picked up her pace again and was left with no other choice but to watch the bathroom door shut gently behind her.

When he stepped out of her room a few minutes later he found himself slouching against her door heavily, the weight of everything that had happened over the last few weeks baring down on him like a physical presence. Taking a deep breath he ran a hand quickly through his hair, trying to smoothen out the mess. He had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next between him and Eleanor, but he did know that she was more at risk now than ever and he was going to do his upmost to ensure she was safe, no matter the consequences to him.

With that thought ringing true in his head he pushed himself away from the door and began making his way down the corridor, his strides purposeful.

‘So you figured it out eventually.’

The sound of a deep, unfamiliar voice behind him suddenly made him falter, the words making his stomach churn in anxiousness and anticipation. It took him mere seconds to guess who the man stood at the other end of the corridor was but once he did his fists curled instinctively.

‘It’s brave of you to come here,’ Jasper replied in a serious voice, still facing the opposite direction. He was almost pleased that he had shown up so that Jasper would have the opportunity to beat the ass of the man who had not only shot him but the woman he loved and her brother.

Letting out a short laugh the man moved a few steps closer towards him, his feet heavy on the carpeted floor. Jasper knew that this man was undoubtedly strong, his muscles had been visible through the thin black cotton shirt he had worn the last time Jasper had seen him. However, he suspected that his clothing choice had not been coincidental but had been well thought through to try and make his presence look as menacing as possible to Eleanor. This may have worked on anyone else but Jasper knew that was one of the oldest tricks in the book and that it usually indicated the individual had little more than brute strength in his favour, which he was likely trying to emphasise to distract from the fact that he had little finesse or intelligence as well. Unfortunately for this man, Jasper had been honing his finesse for years.

‘Well I haven’t encountered much resistance so far. It seems that almost anyone can gain access to the palace nowadays, wouldn’t you agree Jasper?’

Jasper felt a shot of rage shoot up his spine at his insinuation, not surprised that he knew his name or his background. He’d evidentially found out secrets which were extremely closely guarded within the palace walls so that fact that he had likely discovered his parent’s indiscretions and his own selfish intentions did not shock him. It wasn’t his knowledge but what he did with it that mattered.

Turning around to face him finally Jasper raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression one suggesting he would allow the man to continue just to humour him. ‘It would seem that way yes.’

‘So you finally discovered the secret,’ the man stated in a patronising voice, ‘I must say I approve of your methods but your speed was much slower than I had anticipated. I’ve been waiting for this day for weeks.’

‘Of course I found out, that was the whole aim of your little shooting practice wasn’t it?’ Jasper replied dryly, ‘to show us that there was more to be discovered about the twins?’

‘Us?’ the man questioned, a fake look of innocence and confusion crossing his face, ‘I can only see you Frost, who is this elusive _us_ you talk about?’

‘So I was supposed to be the recipient of your little message. Looks like you succeeded in that respect even if you failed in all the others.’

‘Oh no, I haven’t failed,’ the man sneered, moving ever closer to Jasper until he was a mere few feet away. ‘I alerted you to the fact that there was a secret being hidden about the Prince and Princess and you finally figured it out, just like I wanted you to. Then, just as planned, you alerted the twins and the media and the coronation is being organised. Thus, Cyrus is no longer going to be King and instead the two family members who actually have hearts and feel emotions are going to be in charge.’

Now it was Jasper’s turn to laugh. ‘Sounds like you’ve got everything you wanted, but you’re surely not trying to tell me that you did all of this just so that the country will have a compassionate king?’

‘Well that’s how it will appear to the public anyway,’ the man replied coyly. ‘But between you and me, they’re not going to be the ones actually in charge.’

Narrowing his eyes Jasper squared his shoulders, ‘so who do you think is going to be in charge?’

‘Me of course! Those twins care too much for each other and I can use that weakness against them to ensure they do and act in a way that I deem fit,’ the man replied with a triumphant smile.

Jasper felt pure fury bubbling away in his gut, red covering his eyes momentarily.

‘But unfortunately I believe you are the last person who is going to get in my way so that means that you might have to be involved in some sort of fatal freak accident or something sometime soon. Or maybe your injuries from the previous shooting may suddenly reappear, like some mysterious internal bleeding?’ the man mused. ‘I’ll work out the story for the press later.’

Before the psychopath stood before him had time to fully raise his gun Jasper had already knocked it out of his hand and the other hands were now held firmly behind his back.

‘You’re going to have to work harder than that to get rid of me,’ Jasper ground out between his clenched teeth.

‘And why is that Jasper?’ the man asked in a mocking tone, his head tilting to the side in an over exaggerated move, seemingly unphased by his new position. ‘Why would the thief from Nevada have any reason to protect the integrity of the crown with his life?’

‘I have been fighting against scum bags like you my entire life,’ Jasper replied, trying his hardest to keep his voice level, ‘I used to be one of you but I can honestly say now that I will do anything in my power to rid you from Eleanor and Liam’s life.’

‘Ahhh, lightbulb moment! I understand, you’re in love!’ the man continued in a voice so patronising and mocking that it made Jasper’s toes curl with the urge not to punch the bastard in front of him. ‘Now the question is, which one of them is it? Is it the handsome playboy prince or the shit show princess that takes your fancy?’

His degrading description of Eleanor snapped the last thread of his patience and before he even realised it his fist had made contact with the man’s face, a loud crack filling the air and ringing through his ears.

Blinking a few times the man shook his head briefly, a smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth as blood trickled down his face. ‘So I’m guessing by that reaction it’s the later? Don’t worry, I won’t hurt her too much so long as she does as I say,’ he sneered, pausing momentarily before he continued, ‘although I can’t say the same for you.’

With that the man’s elbow made contact with the side of Jasper’s ribs, causing Jasper to let out a pained breath and his grasp on the man’s arms to loosen. Taking advantage the man manoeuvred out of his grip, raising his leg towards Jasper’s groin. But it was a move Jasper was expecting and so he deflected easily, moving to pull the man’s upstretched leg and knocking the man to his back with a loud thud.

Eleanor paused with her lipstick halfway to her face, her head turning instinctively as another loud thump came from the hallway outside her bedroom. She thought that perhaps the first one had just been a clumsy or heavy footed security guard passing by but this one immediately alerted her to something more serious. She felt her hairs stand on end as a chill ran down her spine and the lipstick fell from her numb fingers with a clatter, smearing across the countertop of her vanity.

Rising from her seat as quietly yet fast as possible she made her way to her door, thankful she had yet to don her shoes. As she made it closer to the door the sounds of a scuffle became more obvious and as she heard the harsh grunting she was suddenly reminded of the man who had left her bed not long ago.

Nothing else had time to cross her mind before she had pulled the doors open swiftly to reveal the scene outside, the thought of Jasper in trouble causing adrenaline to spike through her veins.

Hearing the noise of doors opening beside him Jasper glanced up briefly, his eyes widening as he saw Eleanor stood watching them, her eyes wide. However, he didn’t get a chance to fully gauge her reaction because as soon as he laid eyes on her he felt a sharp thump to the back of his knee, causing him to fall ungracefully to the ground.

It took Jasper mere seconds to stand back up again, but as he did so the other man’s arms wrapped around his shoulders roughly, trying to take him back down again. It took Eleanor a few moments to recognise the man currently straddling Jasper’s back due to the blood pouring from his what appeared to be broken nose and the angry red swelling of his right eye, but once she did it caused the breath to escape her body in a sharp exhale.

Grasping onto the door frame beside her for support Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut as the memories of the last times she had encountered him flooded her brain, just in time to watch Jasper throw his head back harshly and whack the man’s face, dislodging him from his back so that Jasper could move to stand a few feet down the corridor from him.

As Jasper moved to put some distance between himself and the vile man before him he chanced a brief look at Eleanor, his eyes frantically scanning her face to make sure that she was okay. She hadn’t spoken a word since her appearance and knowing her as well as he did, her silence was worrying him. As he noticed how her eyes were screwed shut, her face scrunched up in pain, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye that was the only thing that could have drawn his attention away from Eleanor.

It only took Jasper half a second to realise what the man was doing, but that slip meant that they both rose their guns at exactly the same time, giving neither the opportunity to fire without risk to themselves. Jasper kicked himself internally for letting it happen, trying his best to maintain his poker face.

‘Rule number one, never let yourself get distracted,’ the man leered, an arrogant smile spreading across his face as he wiggled the gun tauntingly before him, ‘come on Jasper, I thought you’d have learnt that one.’ When Jasper didn’t reply, his eyes simply narrowing at the man in disdain as he straightened his spine, the man continued, ‘I mean, especially after what happened with your sister. Surely that whole charade proved to you the importance of keeping yourself unattached, not letting your heart interfere with your decisions. After all that can lead to people ending up dead.’

Eleanor noticed the second Jaspers body tensed, not that it hadn’t been tense beforehand, but she could sense the minute change in him. His expression remained the same but his features appeared harder somehow if that were possible. _Fiercer._

She wanted nothing more in that moment than to move towards him and squeeze his hand, wrap her arms around him, anything to remove the memories which had no doubt surfaced in his mind. Memories she wished desperately that she could take from him.

‘I was surprised you didn’t remember me the last time we met but I guess you were only young when we met and I you had other things on your mind, what with us shooting your sister so I guess I’ll let you off,’ the man drawled, his tone casual and jokey as if they were discussing something as trivial as the weather or the latest sporting results.

 _Bitter._ That’s what the bile rising in Jaspers throat tasted like. He had only a second to process the taste before he was forcing it back down with the contents of his stomach which were threatening to make themselves known again. It took every ounce of his self-control not to pull the trigger on his gun right that second. To end the bastard stood before him and wipe that smug smirk off his face forever.

‘You reprehensible coward!’ It was Eleanor’s sharp, firm voice which tore through the flashbacks raging through his head and brought him back to the present, although the ghost of Taylor’s face still plagued him.

Eleanor could feel her whole body shaking with the fury inside her, threatening to explode. She had hated this man before but now her hatred was not just emotional, it was physical too, threatening to overtake her body. ‘There is a special place in Hell reserved just for you and I would get no greater joy than by being the one to send you there,’ she spat at him, taking a step closer. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was telling her not to, warning her that this man was unpredictable and she should be staying as far away as possible.

‘Eleanor stop!’ It was only then that she realised that the voice telling her to stop her advances wasn’t in her mind, it was coming from a very panicked sounding Jasper. Turning to face the origin of the voice she was struck immediately by how pale his face was and how his eyes were wide in panic, something she had never seen before.

But, it wasn’t until she followed his gaze back around to face her attacker once more that she noticed the shining silver gun which was now outstretched in her direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!


	24. Too Many Guns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the next chapter!
> 
> Please note that although James has not yet been mentioned in the story it seemed fitting to include him here even though he obviously was not around during season 1 of the show. Therefore imagine that he isn't, nor has he ever been, Eleanor's personal bodyguard but instead is just a member of Royal security who both Jasper and Eleanor have become good friends with. Sorry if that confuses the story abit but I hope you'll agree that he deserved a mention and this chapter seemed like the perfect place!

The sound of her heart beating frantically was a dull thudding in her ears, only just audible over the gushing sound of her blood firing through her veins, blocking out Jaspers words. As she stared down the barrel of the gun now stretched out before her she forced herself to swallow her panic, taking a deep breath to try and draw back her courage.

Lifting her head slowly she met the gaze of the man who now held the power, or at least thought that he did. _Not for long._

Jasper felt his hands shaking uncontrollably as they held his own gun out to face the man in front of him. This was not how he had expected this situation to go - there were now three firearms on display and he was no longer the only one in danger. The knowledge that Eleanor could be dead within the blink of an eye had sweat pooling at the back of his neck uncomfortably and he had to concentrate to keep his gun held forwards, his head whirring as he desperately tried to think of a way to get Eleanor to safety. He had another gun in his possession but he knew that no matter how many he held at their attacker he was still the one who held the power and all because he knew Jasper’s weakness for the Princess.

Eleanor unflinchingly met the eyes of the man before her, his cocky smirk making her toes curl with disgust. ‘So what is it you want now?’ she asked him, almost conversationally. ‘There is one gun pointing at you and you have one pointing at each of us. So now what? Everyone gets shot?’

When he didn’t reply for a moment Eleanor rose her eyebrows quizzically, ‘surely you didn’t just come here to kill me, you could have done that months ago.’

‘You’re right, I didn’t,’ he finally replied, his tone as hard as his gaze, ‘but I’ve already explained my motives to your bodyguard over there,’ he indicated towards Jasper with a careless flick of his gun, the other still pointing at Eleanor. ‘I’m really tired of explaining myself.’

‘Your motives are not going to become reality,’ Jasper ground out.

‘Oh come on bodyguard, you don’t still think you can beat me do you?’ the man asked sarcastically.  
‘Yes. Just me and you, one gun each,’ Jasper replied, emphasising every word.

‘Still trying to protect the country’s princess, how very honourable of you Jasper,’ he replied, sarcasm still lacing his voice. ‘Okay, you have yourself a deal.’

‘Eleanor, go back inside,’ Jasper told her, his tone indicating there was no room for negotiation. Sighing quietly, she briefly locked eyes with Jasper, trying desperately to judge if he had a plan.

When his gaze gave nothing away she nodded slightly before facing the gun in front of her again.

‘Lower the gun,’ Jasper ordered the man, his gaze fierce.

‘Fine, I’ll lower it but don’t go doing anything stupid Princess. I still have a gun on your pathetic bodyguard and I can shoot him in a second, so if you’re bothered at all whether he remains alive or not you’ll go back inside your bedroom without another word.’

His eyes averted back to Jasper’s as he slowly lowered his gun to his side, a warning clear in their dull black depths.

Eleanor would have done almost anything in that moment to get Jasper out of danger but she knew there was nothing she could do that wouldn’t put this life at an even greater risk. Admitting momentary defeat she turned and took the few steps needed for her to be safely inside her room, turning to close the door behind her after another brief glance at Jasper.

‘Wait! Don’t you want to confess your unwavering love for the beautiful Princess before she leaves?’ the man asked in a mocking tone, ‘seen as though this is going to be your last chance?’

Eleanor froze with her hand on the handle of her bedroom door. _Love?_ What was this guy talking about love? Turning slowly, she watched Jasper carefully, waiting for his back to stiffen or his eyes to widen – anything to show his shock and denial at that statement. But it never came.

‘There will be plenty of time for that later once you’re on your way to the morgue,’ Jasper replied calmly. As soon as the words left his lips he turned his gaze to Eleanor, trying to judge her reaction. Her eyes were wide in shock, filled with a myriad of emotions that she couldn’t find words for. She remained silent as Jasper nodded towards her door, waiting for her to close the door so she was safe, her head spinning as she closed her bedroom door behind her and leaned against it heavily.

Jasper let out a sigh of relief as he watched the bedroom door close, knowing Eleanor was safely behind it.

‘So what now bodyguard?’ The mocking tone was back in the revolting man’s voice, ‘you’ve saved your beloved but how are you planning on saving yourself?’

‘I have a proposition for you,’ Jasper replied, keeping his tone calm much to the annoyance of his attacker. ‘I may not have been able to save my sister from you, but I’m faster, stronger and smarter now, and this time I will defeat you.’

The man scoffed, rolling his eyes as he looked down his nose at Jasper. ‘Think you can beat a gun, Jasper?’ he asked sarcastically.

Now it was Jasper’s turn to scoff. ‘I’m not claiming to be God. I say we lose the guns altogether and fight this out the real way, using no weapons other than those of our bodies.’

‘Cut it out with all the poncy, elegant language Jasper. You want a fist fight?’

‘If you want to restrict it to fists that’s fine by me,’ Jasper replied wryly.

‘Fine,’ the man spat, ‘if you really want your final moments to be ones of humiliation as I pummel you into the ground then so be it.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ Jasper muttered.

‘Okay, on the count of three we lower our guns. But be careful Jasper, I’m watching you so don’t try any funny business.’

Eleanor tried to quieten her harsh breathing as she pressed her ear against the door, listening intently. She waited until she heard the dull scraping of their guns being cast aside before she swung the bedroom door open, stepping out with as much courage as she could muster.

As soon as Eleanor took in the scene in front of her she silently cursed herself. She had thought her timing had been perfect and that she would have been able to reappear and suddenly be the only one holding a gun, but what she thought had been the sound of both men dropping their guns had simply been the man kicking away his already discarded second gun. No, both men still had shining, silver guns pointed towards each other and it took less than a second for the man to pull out a short pistol that had been strapped to his ankle, all the while keeping his other gun pointing perfectly straight at Jasper as he aimed his new addition at Eleanor.

_How many freaking guns did this guy bring?_

Jasper stared at Eleanor in disbelief, groaning inwardly at her inability to leave the situation alone. He had been so close to getting rid of all guns in the situation so that at least he had a chance to come away from this encounter alive, but instead Eleanor had now brought even more guns into the equation.

‘Drop the gun Princess, or it won’t just be your pretty, albeit stupid bodyguard, with the weight of a bullet in his skull.’

‘Eleanor, put the gun down.’ Jasper hated the fact that his voice sounded strained and weak. He usually prided himself on his ability to appear calm and composed but right now his usual control had disintegrated. Eleanor’s life was the most important thing in the world to him – it was the one thing he would not gamble.

Her eyes flew to his in confusion, narrowing to sharp slits. ‘No way, then he’ll have two guns on you!’ she told him firmly through clenched teeth.

‘There is no need for two of us to be in danger. I can handle this,’ Jasper replied in a hoarse voice, the pounding of his heart strong in his ears. ‘ _Please_ Eleanor, put the gun down,’ he continued, his desperation evident in his tone.

Jasper was so distracted by the knowledge that Eleanor was once again in danger that he didn’t even realise the man who crept up behind their intruder and hit him in the side of the head in a practiced, perfectly executed move that sent him tumbling to the floor immediately. For a few moments both Jasper and Eleanor could only stare in shock at the body now crumpled at their feet.

‘You can drop the gun now Princess.’

It was the sound of James’ calm, patient voice that finally dragged Eleanor out of her daze and reminded her of the metal still clenched between her hands. Without another thought she loosened her grip, feeling the heavy weight fall from her fingertips.

‘Okay, I didn’t mean literally but good enough,’ James chuckled as he bent down to carefully pick up her harshly discarded weapon.

Within seconds half a dozen armoured security guards had surrounded the man, lifting him easily and carrying him down the corridor, no doubt to a police van waiting to escort him to a prison cell.  
Letting out a sudden gasp of breath that he hadn’t realised he had been holding, Jasper felt his shoulders slump in relief. _He was gone._

Raising his eyes to James’ it took a few blinks for him to actually be able to focus on the friendly face in front of him, the speed of his arrival and solution to the threat both surprising him and making him feel an odd sense of pride for the older mans talents. James had not been at the palace long, nor had Jasper spent a large amount of time with him, but he had become fast friends with the other bodyguard. His willingness to protect Eleanor, despite the fact that she was not his assigned post, may or may not have been a huge factor in that.

‘Thankyou,’ Jasper whispered, trying to show his appreciation through his gaze.

‘No thanks necessary Jasper, it’s all part of the job.’ Before Jasper could reply James had reached out to usher both Jasper and Eleanor into her bedroom. ‘I’ll take over your post Jasper, I think you deserve a rest after what seems to have been a very eventful morning so far.’

‘Mr Hill, I-‘ Eleanor began before she felt a sob wrack her body and halt her words. Instead she reached forwards to pull James into a hug, whispering thankyous repeatedly into his shoulder.

‘Come on now Princess, I thought you’d finally agreed to call me James,’ he chuckled as he pulled away from Eleanor. When he felt her unwillingness to move out of their embrace he moved to lean her against Jasper instead, and was pleased to see that she clung to him without complaint.

Smiling to himself he watched as Jasper wrapped his arms protectively around her waist, one hand cupping the back of her head as he held her. Giving a brief nod to Jasper showing his silent promise to talk to him later, James turned to quietly leave the room and close the door behind him.

After a few moments Jasper felt his pulse start to slow, no longer galloping at a worrying speed, relief that Eleanor was safe overwhelming him. However, now that he could think clearly again he was reminded of his blinding panic from earlier at how Eleanor had put herself in such a dangerous position, and he pulled away from their embrace slightly to hold onto her shoulders, squaring her with a firm look.

‘What on earth were you thinking? You could have been killed!’

‘So could you!’ Eleanor replied, the pitch of her voice rising. She was baffled that Jasper could possibly be angry at her for not wanting him to die. ‘Did you really expect me to just leave you out there with that maniac? To close the door and go about my business when-‘

‘Yes!’ Jasper interrupted, ‘that’s exactly what I expected!’

Eleanor felt her mouth open and close a few times in bewilderment but no words came out.

‘Eleanor, it is my job to protect you,’ Jasper continued, his tone softening as he gently ran his hands down her arms to grasp her hands between his. He needed to keep contact with her, as if he still needed the physical reassurance that Eleanor was there and safe. ‘The only thing that matters is that you are kept safe and it’s not very easy to do that if you keep throwing yourself into danger with no regard for your own life!’

‘What about you?’ she asked in disbelief.

‘What about me?’ he asked, his expression puzzled.

‘You have to protect your own life too!’ she told him with conviction.

‘Not if it endangers yours!’ Jasper replied firmly, ‘your life comes first and it is my job to ensure it is protected, regardless of the other consequences. My priority is you and your family at all times, it’s a condition of the job. My life is nothing in comparison.’

Eleanor let out a shocked gasp before she could stop it, her eyes widening in shock. ‘How can you say that! I’m just a person the same as you, my life is not worth any more than anyone else’s. If anything I’m worth less, what have I ever done to give myself more worth or-‘

She didn’t hear Jasper telling her to stop and trying to interrupt so he had to resort to holding his hand over her mouth to get her to be quiet. ‘Don’t you ever say that,’ Jasper told her with passion as he met her gaze. ‘You are one of the strongest, bravest and most beautiful people I have ever met, both inside and out. You are worth everything, you hear me? _Everything._ ’

For a few moments Eleanor found herself unable to do anything but stand and stare at Jasper, tears pricking the back of her eyes at his words. He said them with such passion and reverence, his eyes shining with sincerity, that it made Eleanor’s heart clench in her chest. No one had ever made her feel like she was worth so much.

Moving slowly, she reached up to gently pull the hand away that was covering her mouth, her hand squeezing Jasper’s tightly. ‘I’m not worth you dying,’ she whispered, her breath hitching in her throat as she used all of her efforts to hold back the tears.

Running his free hand gently across her cheek Jasper felt himself smile weakly, moisture covering his vision slightly too. ‘Of course you are Princess, I’d die right now if it meant that you could live a long, happy and safe life.’

Shaking her head Eleanor felt the first tear fall, leaving a damp trail down the side of her face and running over Jaspers fingers. ‘But I wouldn’t have a happy life if you weren’t there. If you died I-‘ she began before a sob broke out of her throat. Swallowing past the lump forming in her throat Eleanor squeezed his hand again. ‘I need you,’ she whispered honestly, before adding with a small smile, ‘I need you _alive._ '

Jasper couldn’t help the blinding grin that spread across his face then. Without thinking he leant forward to touch his forehead against Eleanor’s, squeezing his eyes shut to hold back the flood of tears which was threatening to flow. But, after a few seconds he heard Eleanor quietly breath out his name and realised what he was doing.

‘I’m sorry I-‘ he began as he started to pull away, knowing that he had probably overstepped an invisible boundary. What was he thinking, they weren’t in a relationship?

‘Jasper,’ Eleanor whispered again, drawing his attention and pausing his movements. Rising his eyes to meet her sparkling emerald gaze Jasper felt his heart stutter as he saw the raw emotion reflecting back at him. Before he even had enough time to process what was happening Eleanor slowly reached up and pressed her lips against his in a kiss that was urgent and passionate yet filled with something delicate and precious.

Something that felt a lot like love.


	25. Busy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I had a feeling Jaspenor fans would like this chapter so I hope it doesn't disappoint! ;) Let me know what you think!

Jasper tried his best but couldn’t prevent the groan that was pulled from his lips as he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, the incessant ringtone filling his ears. It took the upmost effort to pull his mouth away from Eleanor’s and as he watched her slowly blink her eyes open, their emerald depths clouded with desire, he immediately forgot the reason why he had.

‘Jasper.’ It took three attempts at getting attention before Jasper shook his head slowly, reaching down and pulling his phone out of his pocket with a scowl. Eleanor stepped back as she listened to him barking into the phone, smiling slightly at his annoyance at being interrupted. Cleary his thoughts mirrored her own.

‘Now?’ Jasper asked in surprise, ‘I doubt he’ll have even reached the police station yet.’

Eleanor ran a hand through her hair as she watched him begin to pace across her bedroom.

‘Yes of course I do, the Princess’s safety is of paramount importance to me, you know that!’

Eleanor was surprised by the passion in Jasper’s voice and when he held his hand over the phone to talk to her it took her a few moments to realise.

‘I’m sorry but I have to go,’ Jasper told her, his tone sincere. ‘Are you okay here by yourself?’

‘Yes of course, I’ll be fine,’ Eleanor replied automatically, trying to squash the disappointment she felt bubbling in her chest.

Nodding firmly Jasper let his gaze run over Eleanor briefly before he turned to walk towards the bedroom doors. However, as he got to the doors and opened them slowly he realised how desperate he was not to leave.

‘Actually, can you do this without me? There’s something I need to do here.’

Jasper’s words captured Eleanor’s attention at once and without thinking her eyes flew back towards Jasper. Raising her eyebrows in silent question she watched Jasper close the door quickly and turn so he was fully facing her, sliding his phone back into his pocket.

‘What’s going on?’ Eleanor asked curiously as her gaze met his.

‘There’s a security team meeting to discuss how that arsehole managed to get into the Palace. But I told them I was busy,’ he replied, his voice low and husky.  
Swallowing thickly Eleanor felt her breath catch as she saw the desire flaring in Jasper’s eyes. ‘Busy?’ She queried in a breathless voice.

Nodding slowly Jasper pushed away from the door, ‘there’s something I’ve been wanting to do for an unbelievably long time,’ he murmured as he moved gracefully towards Eleanor, his movements sure and purposeful.

He stopped just inches in front of her, reaching forwards to wrap his arms around her waist. Jasper gave her a few moments to push him away, his way of making sure she had the chance to say no, before their mouths met in another delicious kiss. Their teeth and lips clashed as the kiss took on a more frantic edge than their previous kiss, passion overtaking.

Eleanor felt her hands automatically moving upwards to twist into Jasper’s hair, pulling his head back slightly so she could breathe in a much needed gasp of air before their mouths met again. Jasper’s masculine scent filled her nose and her fingers itched with the need to feel his skin against hers, his stubble scratching her cheeks in a way that made her knees shake. As she felt Jasper’s fingers reaching down to pull her dress up she let out a deep moan as her legs began to give out, Jasper catching her and lifting her effortlessly, her legs moving automatically to wrap around his hips.

Jasper nearly felt his last grip on control slip as Eleanor pulled away from him to allow him to pull her dress up and over her head, biting onto his bottom lip as she did so. When he threw her dress carelessly onto the floor, she shook her hair out so that it billowed over her shoulders and gave him a cheeky smirk before he moved forwards to run his lips down her jaw and neck, pressing soft kisses to the soft, almost translucent skin there.

Eleanor let Jasper leave his mark for a few moments before her impatience overtook her mind and she reached out to tug his hair again. When he pulled his head back and gazed at her with a dazed expression she felt her breath get stuck in her throat again as she began work on his shirt buttons. She felt his breath hitch as her fingertips finally met his skin, dancing lightly across the narrow expanse of chest she had revealed. Feeling a smirk spreading across her mouth she moved her hands upwards and over his muscled shoulders as she leant forwards to run her tongue slowly along his collarbone.

‘Feeling your control slip, Jasper?’ she whispered into his neck as her fingers squeezed his shoulders.

Letting out another growl Jasper stepped forwards until he reached the bed and practically threw Eleanor backwards onto the mattress.

‘I have no control when it comes to you Princess, not anymore,’ he ground out as he kicked off his shoes and dragged his shirt and socks off and tossed them behind him carelessly before moving to lie above Eleanor, his mouth pressed against hers immediately.

Eleanor felt her mouth dry up instantly as she was faced with the sight of a shirtless Jasper, her mind shutting down as desire fired in her blood. Eleanor’s fingers moved to Jasper’s belt of their own accord as she felt a shiver run down her spine as his tongue ran across hers again. Her fingers felt heavy and clumsy as she worked to unbuckle his belt but she was too impatient to remove it separately, moving immediately to the button of his pants which she unfastened hastily to allow her to drag his pants down his legs.

Jasper worked to help her and moved quickly out of his pants so that he could burrow his hands in her silky soft hair again, his mouth moving across her jaw and down her neck once again. Eleanor’s hands moved to grasp at his shoulders, her fingernails digging deliciously into his skin as he began pressing kisses down her chest.

When his mouth neared her sensitive nipples Eleanor let out a soft whimper, moving to try remove her bra.

‘Nope,’ Jasper told her as he grabbed her wrists, ‘I like this, I think we should keep it on.’ He admired the thin lace material for a moment before running a finger softly around the edge, smiling at the soft noises of impatience it drew from Eleanor’s swollen lips.

‘Jasper,’ she breathed out pleadingly, her back arching off the bed in a desperate move to get closer to him.

‘Yes Princess?’ Jasper whispered, looking up at her through thick eyelashes.

‘Just,’ Eleanor began, before Jasper finally moved his fingers to rub over her left nipple and she couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her mouth.

‘Just what?’ Jasper asked, feeling himself stiffen almost painfully as he watched her face scrunch in pleasure.

‘Just _do_ something,’ she breathed urgently, ‘anything.’

Following instructions Jasper lowered his head again and ran his tongue slowly across her nipple before taking it into his mouth through the thin, almost non-existent material of her bra.

Eleanor felt heat pool in her gut as her nerve endings went into overdrive at Jasper’s touch. Moaning filthily, she felt a delicious shiver shoot down her spine as she arched off the bed once more. Her fingers tugged on Jasper’s hair almost painfully as he moved to give the same treatment to the other nipple.

Jasper couldn’t help but smirk at the moans and curses pouring from Eleanor’s mouth, her noises spurring him on. Slowly he began moving his mouth lower down her body, trailing down her stomach as his hands caressed her hips, scratching lightly with his nails as he revelled in the feeling of having Eleanor’s soft skin beneath his again. When he reached her panties he slowly skimmed a hand lower before reaching for the waistband and pulling them down her legs at as slowly as he could manage.

‘You’re such a tease,’ Eleanor moaned as she wiggled her legs to try and speed things along. When Jasper simply smirked up at her as he threw her panties onto the floor, his eyes dark with desire, Eleanor took matters into her own hands and reached forwards to drag him down by his shoulders.

Jasper went down easily, his lips crashing against Eleanor’s again. He was sure he saw stars behind his eyelids as he felt Eleanor reach down to tug down his boxers, her hand brushing across his hard length. Letting out an almost animalistic groan Jasper pushed the material away quickly, his mind whirring as his arms reached around Eleanor’s back to pull her impossibly closer.

Eleanor wrapped her legs around Jasper’s waist immediately, her fingers finding purchase on Jasper’s shoulders again as he began sucking and biting lightly on her neck, leaving his mark. Arching her head back into the pillows she felt her toes curl at the pleasure, but she needed more. Fumbling in her bedside table with shaky fingers as Jasper continued to work his magic on her neck, she pulled out a condom and motioned for Jasper to lean back. But instead of just leaning back, Jasper rolled over so that his back was on the bedsheets, pulling Eleanor over with him.

Eleanor couldn’t help the grin that spread across her lips as she realised she was now straddling Jasper, who was looking up at her with hooded eyes. He was willingly giving her control, proving to her without words that this wasn’t about games or power anymore, but about something deeper. Not wanting to think about what that may be, Eleanor occupied her thoughts with the man below her, smirking at the growl he emitted when her fingertips gently traced down his impressive length.

‘Sensitive, Jasper?’ she asked him in the most innocent tone she could muster, glancing up at him through her eyelashes.

‘Now who’s the one teasing?’ he replied huskily, with a smirk that matched her own.

‘Whatever do you mean?’ As she spoke the words in a soft voice she trailed her fingers back up his length, circling the tip slowly. Her eyes never strayed from his and she revelled in the way his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed, clear signs of the effect she was having on him.

‘Eleanor,’ Jasper warned quietly, a breathless edge to his voice making him sound less threatening, ‘I can flip you back over in seconds.’

Eleanor let another smile pull at her lips as she leant forwards until her mouth was next to Jasper’s ear. ‘And why would you do that when you’re enjoying this so much?’ she purred in his ear, loving the way she could hear his breath hitch in his throat at her words.

Eleanor ran her hand back over his tip carefully, before wrapping her hand around him and giving him a few slow pumps in her fist. Jasper shuddered beneath her and she felt his legs tense as his eyes closed briefly. But, when he reopened them the sight pulled all of the breath from her body and her hand paused immediately.

The mask which Jasper usually had in place was completely gone and as well as the lust and desire which had been evident in his eyes before was something new. Something fierce and passionate that sent another shiver down her spine and made her heart soar in her chest. Jasper was looking at her in a way that no one had ever looked at her before, as if she were the most important, amazing thing he had ever laid eyes on. As if she were beautiful and precious and _worth something._ The feeling of being under that gaze was heady and it made her head spin slightly, but it also made her feel lighter and _cherished._

Feeling a blush spread to her cheeks Eleanor lowered her head slightly as she worked to roll the condom over Jasper, glad that her hair fell like a dark curtain to hide her face. When she met Jaspers gaze a few seconds later he reached up to brush her hair back slightly, his hand resting on her jaw for a second as he asked her quietly, ‘you ready?’

Nodding silently, Eleanor pressed her lips against his again but this time the kiss was more gentle. It was still passionate and sent her pulse racing, but it was more tender too. As she reached up to wrap her arms gently around Jasper’s neck she rocked herself slightly to the side, showing Jasper that she wanted him to be on top again. Her heart was pounding in her chest and the look she’d seen in Jasper’s eyes had turned her legs to jelly, so she needed him to be in control again.

Jasper knew it took a lot for Eleanor to relinquish control, even if she would never admit it, and the knowledge that she had given it to him without a fight made his heart clench in his chest. Not because he wanted the power or because he wanted to control her, but because to her this was a way of showing he had earned her trust, and that thought warmed him immensely.

Rolling them over carefully he laid Eleanor back on the pillows as his mouth met hers again, one hand wrapped carefully around her neck while the other positioned himself at her entrance. Jasper felt Eleanor gasp as he slid inside her slowly, their breaths mingling in the small space between them. Her arms wrapped around his back as her nails dug into his skin a little as he began to move, building up the pace slowly.

‘Fuck, Jasper please,’ Eleanor panted as Jasper moved painfully slowly, needing a release desperately.

Jasper had no choice but to give her what she wanted, he was hanging precariously close to the edge as it was and her breathless plea was almost enough to push him over the edge. He no longer had the control to set the pace, his hips now moving of their own accord as he moaned.

Eleanor moaned deeply as Jasper sped up, a thin sheen of sweat covering both their bodies as they clung to each other, her nails nearly drawing blood in Jasper’s back, not that he seemed to mind. She felt her orgasm building rapidly inside of her, her body starting to shake slightly as she neared the edge. She tried to hold it back for a little longer, but when Jasper groaned her name huskily and tucked his head into her shoulder she felt her control slip and she tumbled across the edge.

Jasper breathed in the delicious, fruity smell of Eleanor’s hair filling his nose. She was all around him, overtaking every one of his senses and as soon as Eleanor went over the edge she took him with her, his body releasing as she clenched around him.

Eleanor knew her orgasm was going to be powerful but she didn’t expect it to be _that_ intense. She saw stars as the world flashed white for a moment, the most intense pleasure she had ever felt bursting through her. She flung her head back against the pillows as her back arched off the bed, her mind blanking as she flew.

Jasper let out the longest groan of his life as he came, his entire body tensing before he collapsed on top of Eleanor, his whole body turning to liquid as he shuddered through his orgasm. It took him a few minutes to come around from the bone softening pleasure to realise that he was probably crushing Eleanor beneath him, but as he started to pull away he heard her softly whimper.

Freezing in panic immediately Jasper reached out to cup her cheek, ‘Oh my God Eleanor, did I hurt-‘ he began as Eleanor’s eyes opened slowly. She blinked a few times to clear her vision and her mind, trying to come back to the present as she lifted a hand to press against his lips to silence him.

‘No,’ she managed to whisper, ‘I-I just need a minute. Don’t go anywhere.’

Jasper pressed a delicate kiss to her forehead as he felt the panic wash away. ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ he replied, his voice rough and quiet. He moved slowly off of Eleanor, careful not to move her too much as he moved to throw the condom into the trash can next to her bed.

Eleanor let out a soft breath of contentment as Jasper curled himself back around her and moved to pull the covers up over them both. Her mind must still have not been with it because she felt herself move to tuck herself into his body, her hand resting on his chest. They’d never done this before, previously when they’d had sex they would then move to opposite sides of the bed to sleep with as much room in between them as possible, but tonight she wanted to be as close to Jasper as possible. She would think about what that meant too in the morning.

‘Goodnight Jasper,’ she mumbled semi-coherently as she felt sleep beginning to take hold.

Smiling at her softly Jasper pressed gentle kiss to her forehead as Eleanor closed her eyes, wrapping his arms firmly around her to hold her close.

‘Goodnight Eleanor,’ he replied in a whisper. His body was still tingling as he closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillow, unable to believe his luck. When he felt Eleanor relax fully in his arms and he was sure she was asleep he let out another whisper, knowing he was a coward for only letting it out now.

‘I love you.’


	26. Blessing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry this chapter took so long!! Thank you so much to those of you who are still interested, I hope you enjoy this and it was at least slightly worth the wait! I'd love to hear your thoughts as always :)

When he awoke the next morning, it was to find the bed beside him empty, the sheets in disarray around his feet. While the smell of Eleanor’s delicate perfume still hung in the air, there was no sign of her or where she’d gone. Pulling himself upright immediately, Jasper clambered off the bed in what was undoubtedly not his most graceful of moves, and began dragging his clothes on as quickly as possible, the buttons of his trousers adding an unnecessary complication that tore a growl of frustration from his throat.

‘Are you about to do a runner?’

At the sound of her voice somewhere behind him, Jasper spun around rapidly, his head spinning briefly with the sudden change of direction.

Eleanor met his gaze as Jasper simply stared at her, his expression half surprise and half dizziness. ‘I brought you some tea if you want it? And there’s toast too it think,’ she told him as she pulled the silver covering from the ornate trolley in front of her, feeling slightly self-conscious as Jasper continued to stare in silence.

Jasper swallowed deeply as he took in the sight before him, clearing his throat as something in the back of his mind alerted him to the fact that Eleanor was expecting a response and he hadn’t said anything in what was probably an embarrassingly long time.

‘You brought tea?’ he asked in a groggy voice, immediately kicking himself that those were the first words out of his mouth.

‘Er, yeah,’ Eleanor replied quietly, her head lowered so that her hair covered most of her face, ‘I didn’t exactly make it but I asked the kitchen to bring us some things.’

Eleanor swallowed uncomfortably as she felt her cheeks flame, trying to stop her body curling in on itself in embarrassment. ‘Forget it, I was just hungry and thought maybe you would be too, it’s no big deal,’ she burst out after another few moments of awkward silence. When she rose her head, ready to spit some more fire at Jasper for his clear want to escape her, she jumped slightly as he was a lot closer to her than she expected.

‘Thank you,’ Jasper whispered as her emerald eyes finally met his gaze, smirking despite himself at the fire he could see blazing within their shimmery depths. ‘I wasn’t running away; I was worried when I saw you’d gone. I was coming to find you to make sure you weren’t avoiding me.’

Shaking her head slightly Eleanor smiled briefly, the self-consciousness still not fully gone. ‘I’m not avoiding you.’ She paused for a few moments, her eyes never leaving Jasper’s, but feeling awkward when he made no move towards or away from her. ‘Do you regret it?’ she asked quietly, her anxiety clear in her tone despite her best efforts to seem blasé.

Jasper’s eyes widened at her question, his head shaking instinctively. ‘Of course I don’t,’ he replied instantly, his voice passionate and stronger than it had been all morning. Moving forward mere inches he moved closer into her personal space, wanting to be near her but not scare her away. He reached out slowly to meet her hands with his and intertwine their fingers, squeezing gently yet firmly.

‘I’ve never wanted anything more in my life than what we had last night, to finally have you in my arms again,’ he admitted softly. ‘I never thought I’d get the chance again, and if you’ll let me, I want to prove to you how much you mean to me.’ When Eleanor didn’t reply for a moment he added carefully, ‘do you regret it?’

‘No!’ Eleanor replied immediately, her eyes flashing once more, but this time with sincerity.

‘Well then Princess, I have one question for you,’ Jasper murmured, a wide smile breaking across his features. When Eleanor rose her eyebrows in confusion at his sudden conversation change, he continued. ‘Will you do me the honour of having breakfast with me?’

Laughing slightly at his mock serious expression and the slight bow he gave before her, she tugged on their still entwined hands. ‘How does breakfast in bed sound?’ she purred back, feeling a shiver of anticipation run down her spine as he leant forwards to press his lips chastely to hers.

‘Sounds perfect to me.’

Standing outside the Red state room a few days later, Jasper’s mind drifting to that morning in bed, he couldn’t help the smile that broke across his face. It had been perfect; as had every moment he had spent with Eleanor since. She was intoxicating. He didn’t know how he had managed to survive without being able to be so close to her for so long. Now, he found his fingers itching to reach out and touch her whenever she was near, even if just to gently brush his fingers down the soft skin of her forearm, or to move a silky lock of hair away from her face. His mind strayed to thoughts of her whenever they were apart, his attention never fully on anything else, needing to know that she was safe and happy at all times.

As he wrung his hands together nervously in front of him, he took a deep breath to try and clear his head. He knew what he was about to do was a huge deal, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. He wanted to do things correctly this time around, and while this may not exactly build bridges overnight, he needed them to know how serious he was about Eleanor and how he was going to do everything within his power to make her happy. After all, etiquette is appreciated with the Royal family of Great Britain.

He chastised himself silently for his inability to stand still, his legs shaking and his stomach clenching in anticipation as the door in front of him opened, Rachel stepping out to greet him with a small smile.

‘Your majesty and his highness will see you now,’ she told him with a small nod of her head into the room, before she took a step to the side to allow him to pass.

Doing his best to keep his breathing under control he moved into the grand room, keeping his back straight and his expression as blank as possible. If he had learnt anything throughout his life, it was that revealing your emotions to a potential enemy was the biggest mistake you could ever make. He tried to repeat that to himself as he moved forward into what felt like a battlefield.

‘Your majesty,’ he greeted the Queen with a small bow, hating the smug smirk that spread across her face at his obedience, ‘and your highness,’ he added as he turned to face Liam, relieved to see a slightly more welcoming expression on his face. ‘Thank you for agreeing to see me.’

‘Well, get on with it then,’ Helena urged as she regarded him with curious, yet wary eyes, the smirk remaining on her face.

‘Okay,’ Jasper replied, needing to take another deep breath before he could continue. He figured it was best just to come out with it, or at least the basics, straight off the bat. ‘I would like to ask for your blessing to date Eleanor.’

The sudden burst of laughter which escaped Liam grabbed his attention immediately and both Helena and himself turned to face him immediately, equal looks of confusion gracing both of their faces. Seeing their expressions Liam shrugged, ‘oh come on Jasper, are you really saying that without our blessing you would stop seeing her? From what I hear you’ve already been having a pretty good time together without it.’ His tone was joking and playful, and the twinkle of mischief in his eyes calmed Jaspers racing heart slightly.

‘Well I guess you have a point,’ Jasper replied wryly, now giving a smirk of his own. ‘But, I do have a question I would like to ask Lenny, and that’s not exactly something I think I can do without your consent. As Liam rose his eyebrows sceptically before him he rethought his wording, ‘well okay, it is something else I will probably do regardless of whether or not I have your acceptance, but it would make things a lot easier if I knew that you were at least not going to object.’

‘Is this question what I’m guessing it is?’ Helena burst out, rising from her seat quickly. ‘Because if it is then I think you will find you do require my permission. I can send you to prison for treason very easily Mr Frost so if I were you I would consider my next words very carefully.’

Jasper sighed inwardly at her tone, not that he hadn’t been expecting it. ‘I know that you and I haven’t exactly always seen eye to eye, but I love your daughter and I would do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I’m not planning on proposing don’t worry, I expect that if I did it wouldn’t go down very well with Eleanor either, or at least not right now.’

‘Not right now,’ Liam interrupted, although his tone wasn’t harsh like his mothers, ‘does that mean you’d consider it in the future?’

‘Well yes, that’s sort of the point of what I want to give to her,’ Jasper replied, the words he’d intended on speaking evaporating from his mind due to his nerves. Thinking it would be easier to just show them what he meant, Jasper reached into his pocket to pull out the small, black velvet box which was settled safely in his suit pocket.

‘It’s not an engagement ring,’ he was quick to point out as he opened the lid carefully, revealing the delicate platinum band which was nestled inside. It was thin and dainty, one small diamond embedded in the centre, two tiny emeralds on either side. When he’d first seen it he’d known instantly that this was the ring he wanted to present to Eleanor. It was simple and understated, but beautiful none the less and while it would show his love, it wasn’t overbearing. Or so he hoped.

‘It’s a promise ring,’ he clarified as he saw the dubious looks exchanged between mother and son before him. ‘I know they aren’t really a thing here, but back home they’re more of a tradition. They are to show your love for someone, to prove your loyalty and commitment before you’re both ready to take that next step. I want to prove to Eleanor that I’m here for as long as she’ll have me and now that I’ve got her back I’m not letting her go again unless it’s what she really wants. One day I would love to replace this with a real engagement ring but she needs time to trust me again, and hopefully this will allow her to do so. Show her she can take all the time that she needs and I’ll still be here when she’s made a decision about whether or not she truly wants to be with me.’

Jasper felt a blush rise to his cheeks as he stood in the silence that followed his explanation. He hadn’t meant to reveal his heart so easily, but now that he had he felt a sort of relief that he’d finally admitted how he felt, even if it wasn’t yet to the person who needed to hear it the most.

‘And if my daughter refuses the ring?’ Helena asked after a few more minutes of silence.

‘That’s her choice,’ Jasper replied easily, although even the thought of Eleanor’s rejection caused his chest to constrict almost painfully. ‘I will respect her decision, same as if she decides to change her mind later down the line. I want to give her the chance to decide for herself.’

‘And you’re sure you want to do this?’ Helena asked again seriously, her gaze piercing through Jasper.

‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, your Majesty,’ he replied instantly, his voice strong.

Helena turned briefly to her son with a questioning expression, but when Liam simply smiled at her she turned back to face Jasper and gave him a simple nod of the head. ‘Very well.’

Jasper felt his shoulders slump slightly as the anxiety he’d been harbouring for what felt like years finally dissipated, and he let out a long breath of air as he smiled at her, returning the box to his pocket with care. ‘Thank you,’ he replied sincerely, giving her a small smile as turned rose to leave the room without uttering another word. But, Jasper thought he could see the ghost of a smile pulling at her lips as she turned away from him and real or not, Jasper was going to take that as a good sign.

Turning back to face Liam, Jasper was surprised to find his hand held out in front of him for a handshake. Jasper took it quickly, scared the offer might be reversed if he waited too long, as he smiled at the future King. ‘Thank you to you too, I know that if you didn’t at least slightly approve there is no way your mother would allow this.’

Chuckling slightly Liam patted him on the back briefly, ‘well I think Lenny is clever enough to make up her own mind. She knows what she wants and there’s no way any of us can stop her once she’s set her mind on something. So good luck, let’s just hope she likes you as much as you seem to like her.’

‘Yeah,’ Jasper replied wistfully, ‘I really hope so.’

‘I would give the whole protective big brother speech right about now, but you know Lenny as well as I do. She can look after herself, and if you hurt her she’ll have you hung, drawn and quartered in seconds. Only figuratively though I’d hope,’ Liam chuckled, trying to defuse the tension he could tell had built back up in Jasper.

Nodding, Jasper swallowed harshly to dislodge the lump that had formed in his throat.

‘Hey,’ Liam called, catching his attention again even as he was walking out of the room. ‘Don’t panic, I think you’re gonna be alright. She’s mentioned before about a soft spot she has for a particular American bodyguard and not to be too revealing but I have a feeling it might be you.’

Jasper laughed as Liam winked at him. ‘Thankyou your highness,’ he replied gratefully, amazed that the Prince was taking the time to reassure him. He had no doubt he was going to be a fantastic King, just as he was evidently a fantastic brother. His smile only grew as he watched him turn and carry on making his way out of the room.

‘You can call me Liam,’ he shouted over his shoulder just before the heavy wooden doors closed behind him, leaving Jasper standing alone again, the weight of the platinum ring in his pocket his only companion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!


	27. It's Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm so sorry for the wait! I'm so nearly finished but somehow I just seem to keep adding more and more to each chapter! Hope you all enjoy this and as always thanks for reading!

Jasper knew that what he wanted to present to Eleanor was no small thing. Admittedly the ring was simple within itself, small and dainty, the 3 gems within it sparkling gloriously when they caught the light. Jasper thought it was beautiful and he’d know instantly that it was the one he wanted to give Eleanor, but he knew it was nothing compared to the vast arrays of jewels the Princess was able to access at the click of a finger. It was from a local boutique jewellers and as much as he wished he could afford to give Eleanor an exclusive piece with a famous designer’s name tag attached, and the price tag to go with it, this was the best he could do. The thought had been nagging away at him for days that the ring wasn’t really good enough for the Princess, but he had to hope that Eleanor would take it for more than face value. It was of course the meaning behind which held the significance, and it was that meaning which had him nervous to finally present it to her.

He’d decided that it was best to wait until after her brother’s coronation. Wait until things had calm down and they had a chance to really be together privately for longer than a few snatched hours of time between countless security meetings, dress fittings and media interviews they had each been bombarded with. Jasper knew it was sensible to wait, but he couldn’t kid himself any longer that another reason he’d decided to wait was because of the unflinching doubt which had crept into and resided within his mind. Maybe it wasn’t just the ring which wasn’t good enough for Eleanor?

‘Jasper? Jasper?’ It was the third calling of his name that dragged him from his thoughts, Eleanor’s voice loud by his ear as she shook his arm non too gently.   
‘You with me?’ Eleanor asked as she saw him blink his eyes and shake his head quickly, ‘Or is my company not entertaining enough for you?’ she added with a wink, a slight hint of concern in her voice.

‘Sorry, was just thinking about my meeting earlier,’ Jasper lied seamlessly, offering a small smile as he leant down to brush his lips against Eleanor’s cheek.

‘It’s okay, I know tomorrows a big day and it’s okay for you to be anxious too,’ she told him kindly, squeezing his hand to offer him some reassurance.

‘I’m not anxious as such, I just know that a lot is riding on me not screwing up. The risks to your safety will be so much higher than usual with so many people around the palace,’ Jasper told her, his brow furrowing slightly.

‘Hey,’ Eleanor caught his attention, trying to stop him from retreating back into his thoughts. ‘It’s all going to be fine, I’ve survived this far haven’t I and we both know I wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for you.’

‘Yes, but you also wouldn’t have been put in that type of danger if it wasn’t for me!’ Jasper replied, his regret bleeding into his voice as he had to look away from the undeserved gratitude in her eyes.

Eleanor sighed softly as she reached out a gentle hand to cup his cheek, turning his face slowly so she could meet his eyes again. ‘But you did everything you possibly could to protect me! You went above and beyond the expectations of your job and I know I’ll be safe tomorrow so long as I have you by my side,’ Eleanor told him quietly, sincerity shining in her emerald eyes.  
‘I’ll do my best Princess,’ Jasper told her fiercely, ‘you know I will protect you with my life.’

‘I know,’ Eleanor nodded, ‘and you’ve done everything you possibly can to prepare for tomorrow. So how about we stop talking about the coronation and make better use of this time we’ve finally got alone together?’

Jaspers eyes sparkled at Eleanor’s flirtatious tone, a smirk pulling at his mouth. ‘What exactly did you have in mind Princess?’

‘How about I show you?’ Eleanor purred as her hands slid under Jaspers suit jacket, revelling in the heat of his chest as she clung to his shoulders, moving forward to finally press her lips against his.

The soft moan which escaped Eleanor’s throat reverberated against his lips and Jasper felt heat curl inside him, the small flame which always seemed to be lit inside him whenever he was in Eleanor’s presence bursting into a raging inferno in seconds as he clutched desperately at her hips.

It took mere seconds for Jaspers jacket and tie to be removed, his shirt hanging open as he toed off his shoes impatiently, desperation shattering his usual finesse. As he moved them both backwards until they reached the sofa.

Eleanor pulled their lips apart for a brief yet unbearable moment as she pulled her top over her head unceremoniously, her hair billowing over her shoulders. She met Jaspers eyes and couldn’t contain a laugh at the growl which sounded almost as if it had been ripped from Jasper’s throat as he realised she wasn’t wearing a bra. She just had time to notice the deep intensity blazing in his eyes before he slammed their lips back together again, his hands curling around her body to grip onto her back.

Eleanor was just about to move herself down onto the sofa, with every intention of dragging Jasper down with her, when she felt him lift her up and spin them both around. Her legs instinctively moved to wrap around his waist before he moved backwards and fell ungraciously down onto the seat, Eleanor’s legs straddling him as her hair fell forward around his face.  
‘Comfortable?’ Eleanor asked with a smirk, her lips red and swollen as her eyes shone.

‘Very,’ Jasper whispered as he leant up to press his lips to her neck, revelling in the feel of the Princess’s fingers gripping firmly in his hair as she let out another moan which nearly had him finishing in his pants already.

It took an unbelievable amount of restraint to leave her bedroom the next morning, a small pout on Eleanor’s lips as she watched him go, making him promise to come back later before the coronation began. As if he needed to be asked. If it wasn’t for the dozen women who had been stood at her door ready to attend to her hair, nails and makeup, there was no way he would have been able to pull his arms from around her soft, warm waist.

His morning was beyond hectic, a list with seemingly a million jobs being thrust into his hands the second he’d laid eyes on James.

‘What are you smirking at?’ he’d asked him, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

‘Someone looks a bit distracted that’s all,’ James replied coyly, ‘but I doubt you’re going to have time for that today.’

He’d been right of course, not that Jasper would ever admit it. He’d been so busy he’d barely had time to grab a piece of toast and a cup of tea, only eating when one of the kitchen staff had refused to let him leave the kitchen until he’d finished every crumb.

‘We’re all going to need to have our wits about us today Mr Frost,’ Mrs Watts had told him firmly, ‘we can’t have those of you out on the front-line fainting from starvation, can we?’

Jasper had let out a little chuckle, his heart clenching at his act of kindness as he dutifully obliged. After that it had hours full of checking security cameras, organising staff, vetting media personnel and double checking every single detail within the security brief for the day. By the time he finally made it back to Eleanor’s room, barely having time to straighten his suit jacket before they had to leave, he was exhausted.

Eleanor felt her back stiffen slightly as she heard a sharp intake of breath from behind her, her ears pricking up as she spun around hastily. As she did so she felt herself immediately relax as she noticed Jasper stood behind her, his mouth slightly ajar in his position halfway through the door.

When he didn’t speak for a few moments, his eyes raking up and down her body before landing on her eyes, she felt her shoulders straighten self-consciously. ‘Is it time to go?’ she asked after another few moments, the silence really not helping her nerves.

‘You, er…’ Jasper began as he finally moved a few steps closer to her. Clearing his throat quickly he blinked a few times and Eleanor couldn’t help but be shocked to see her usually so suave bodyguard lost for words.

‘You look unbelievable,’ Jasper finally breathed, his eyes shining.

‘Oh, erm, thank you,’ Eleanor replied softly, a blush spreading up her neck as she looked away briefly, unsure of what to say.

‘I mean it,’ Jasper replied suddenly, his voice now sure and strong again. As he moved to stand in front of her he reached out to cup her cheeks and turn her back to face him. ‘You look absolutely stunning Princess.’

Smiling shyly, Eleanor pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips before murmuring, ‘you look pretty smart yourself.’

Letting out a small scoff of disbelief that Eleanor didn’t seem to realise the extent of the effect she was having on him, Jasper smiled and reached down to entwine their fingers together. ‘You ready?’ he asked carefully, wearing of her nervousness.

‘Yeah,’ she nodded, a smile pulling at her lips once more, ‘let’s go and watch my brother become King.’

Eleanor squeezed her hands together as they dangled by her sides, trying desperately to quell their incessant shaking. She knew this day wasn’t even remotely about her, but she still felt nervous with so many reporters and cameras surrounding her, knowing that this was one of the biggest days of her brother’s life. She wanted it to be perfect for him, she was so unbelievably proud of the man he had become, and the thought of anything ruining this day made her feel sick. Especially if it was anything to do with her.

‘Hey,’ she heard Jasper whisper to her, his lips almost touching her ear, ‘everything is going to be fine. Trust me.’

She nodded as she gave him a shaky smile, realising a second later that she meant it. She had no idea when it had happened but she trusted Jasper, and his mere presence immediately helped her to relax.

Misconstruing the sudden widening of Eleanor’s eyes at her realisation, Jasper moved to face her. ‘Seriously, we’ve got everything under control and I’ll be here at all times to make sure you’re okay. I’ll be just at the other side of the room; I won’t let you out of my sight.’

‘I know,’ Eleanor replied instantaneously. ‘I’m not worried about me, I’m just worried that I’m going to do something to mess it up. You know me, drama seems to follow me everywhere.’  
Jasper laughed gently at her attempt at humour, taking it as a good sign that he had at least slightly managed to relax her.

‘The woman I love is capable of doing amazing things, this is barely anything for her,’ Jasper told her reassuringly as his finger brushed gently across her bottom lip. It wasn’t until he felt Eleanor stiffen beneath his touch and take in a sharp gasp that he realised what he had said.

‘Wh-What did you just call me?’ Eleanor asked him in a breathy voice, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

Swallowing quickly Jasper smiled slightly, knowing that this was going to be a defining moment in their relationship. He hadn’t meant for _that_ word to come out, but now that it had he felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders at his admission. ‘The woman that I love,’ he repeated carefully, ‘a woman who is beautiful, kind and unbelievably strong and who I will protect with my life,’ he added, his mouth running away with him.

‘You _love_ me?’ Eleanor whispered incredulously, her eyes shining over with moisture.

Nodding, Jasper felt his smile broaden. She hadn’t pulled away from his touch so that had to be a good sign, right?

‘I love you, Eleanor, more and more every day.’

Leaning down slightly he began to move towards her, keeping his movements slow so that she had plenty of time to pull away if she wanted. For once he didn’t want this kiss to be about control, but about reassurance and support and love. _So much love._

‘I have to go get Liam,’ Eleanor whispered, her eyes darting from his as she stepped back slightly.

Feeling his heart sink at her reaction Jasper also moved to put more space between them, lowering his hands to his sides as he lifted his head. ‘Of course, your Highness,’ he replied with a firm nod of his head, ignoring the way his voice broke over the words.

Eleanor felt her chest clench as she watched Jasper revert to her professional bodyguard before her eyes. She knew she’d just hurt him and she was surprised how much that knowledge hurt her too. The guilt felt like a solid weight in her chest, but she needed a moment to process his words before she said something she’d regret.

Jasper adjusted his earpiece, more to give his hands something to do that wasn’t pulling Eleanor into his arms rather than necessity, and bowed his head respectfully as Eleanor moved past him. He’d said what he’d known was the truth for the last few months, hell if not since he’d met her, and he couldn’t regret letting Eleanor know he felt. If anything she needed to be reassured more often that people loved her and that she deserved love.

He just hoped that he hadn’t just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him. _Again._


	28. Scared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am so sorry for the wait with this chapter, I've been crazy busy with exams but today I felt like writing this was the perfect procrastination! It's only a short chapter but I'm hoping to have the next one out by next weekend, so thought I'd post this bit to keep you going!  
> Thank you so much if you're still reading, and especially those who keep commenting (you know who you are!) the support and encouragement aids my motivation to no end so thank you! I hope you enjoy :*

‘Eleanor.’ Her mother’s harsh whisper in her ear and the tight tug she gave to her arm pulled Eleanor out of her thoughts, blinking quickly to bring herself back into the room. She turned to her mother and realised her crouched stand as she bowed before her brother and hurried to do the same, lowering her head respectfully as she felt all eyes in the room on her. When she looked up a few moments later, she noticed her brother giving her a fond smirk, shaking his head lightly at her misdemeanour before his attention was drawn by the man stood before him.  
‘I name pronounce you Liam Benjamin Henstridge King of Great Britain.’

Eleanor felt her eyes go wide, not believing the ceremony was over. Was she really so distracted by her own thoughts that she’d zoned out for the whole thing? Guilt immediately washed over her, but when her brother turned to offer her one of his signature dazzling smiles as the crown was placed gently upon his head, that was instantly replaced with immense pride. She felt her heart swell with it, a warm spreading throughout her body as she beamed back at him, feeling the sting of happy tears in her eyes. As she watched her brother begin walking down the aisle in the centre of the room, orb and sceptre in his hands, she felt herself bowing her head again, but this time it was not out of obligation but out of the pure and utter respect she had for her brother. She knew that he was going to make a fantastic king. One is kind and fair, who puts the needs of the country before that of his own greed and desires. A King who the country could finally be proud of and look to for support and encouragement again. A King who her father would be proud to have sitting on what was once his throne.

As Eleanor and her mother moved to begin following her brother out of the room, she noticed the smiles accompanying the faces of those present for the service, and she hoped her brother had noticed them too.

She felt as if she was walking on air as she followed her brother slowly to the Palace balcony, stopping before the doors as they waited for the go ahead to step outside.

‘I’m so proud of you son,’ her mother told Liam, stepping forward to press a kiss to his cheek as he smiled back at them.

‘Me too,’ Lenny told him sincerely, feeling the tears choking in her throat, ‘and dad would be too.’ As she moved forward to wrap her brother in a strong and loving hug she felt him awkwardly try to wrap his arms around her, struggling with his regalia.

‘Here take these from me will you,’ he instructed one of the staff members surrounding them, chuckling at their look of bewildered shock. ‘There’s no need for them, it’s too formal. I think the crown is more than enough don’t you?’ he asked.

‘Yes, your majesty,’ the girl replied, a smile brightening her face as she tried not to laugh, ‘and may I be the first to wish you a healthy and successful rule. I think our country needs a king like you.’

Liam was shocked at her heartfelt words for a moment before he quickly thanked her as she began her retreat, surrounding by a dozen staff members making sure the coronation items were carefully returned to their rightful place.

‘Son, they’re ready for you,’ Helena called, moving again to take her place slightly behind him as the grand wooden doors before them began to open and he moved forward ready to greet what was now his country.

The whole thing felt surreal as Eleanor waved at the crowds before them, hundreds of people reading to greet them with cheers and flags. She could sense her brother’s amazement as he stood beside her and felt her heart sore again for him.

But, as they returned inside a while later, being ushered into another room to await the press reception which was about to occur before a grand dinner was served, Eleanor’s mind began to wander again.

The words which she had finally managed to ignore were echoing around her head again, sending her pulse rate soaring and making her heart flutter inside her chest.  
_I love you._

She knew without a doubt that Jasper meant them. That he at least believed that he was speaking the truth, but Eleanor wasn’t sure what to make of them. She couldn’t deny to herself that they had sparked something within her, a desire to repeat them so powerful that she had almost done just that. But where had that come from? Jasper had hurt her so much before and yet here she was about to give her heart away to someone who had the power to shatter it beyond repair. She knew that she trusted him now, but love him? She wasn’t sure where her feeling lie and she was scared at just how deep they ran.

She didn’t realise how badly she was shaking, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps, until she felt her mother’s hand on her arm again.

‘Eleanor, are you alright?’ her mother asked, her tone surprisingly gentle.

‘I’m sorry, I need a minute,’ she replied quietly, moving forward to try and get out of her mother’s grip.

‘But Eleanor the press are-‘ her mother began before Eleanor interrupted her.

‘It’s Liam they want to speak to, not me,’ Eleanor replied, ‘I’ll be back soon I promise.’

Her mother must have seen something in her eyes as she nodded slightly before releasing her hold on her. Eleanor gave her a weak smile before she turned and practically bolted from the room. She was so focused on getting out of there that she didn’t notice the concerned looks she received from Jasper, who immediately left this station across the room to follow her out.  
When she finally burst through the doors of her bedroom she could feel a cold sweat across her body, her vision swimming as she tried desperately to control her breathing. Sitting down heavily on the edge of her bed she squeezed her eyes shut. As those words began to repeat in her head again she actually found herself relaxing, Jasper’s deep tone soothing her for a moment.

But then she thought about what that meant and again she was struck by the immense power he had over her. How he could be the one to control her mood so easily.

‘Eleanor?’ she suddenly heard his voice again, but this time laced with worry, and her eyes flew open to see him stood before her, although clearly keeping his distance.

Eleanor swallowed quickly, running a hand through her hair to tame her curls. She was unable to look him in the eye as he assessed her, his gaze shining with concern.

‘I’m sorry,’ he told her quietly, running his hands together anxiously in front of him in a way she had never seen before.

At that she finally moved her eyes up to meet his, confused at his apology.

‘This is about what I said isn’t it?’ he asked, reading her easily. When she didn’t reply he continued, taking a tiny step closer towards her. ‘I’m so sorry Eleanor, it just sort of came out. I didn’t mean to tell you like that.’

Eleanor felt her eyebrows furrow slightly, ‘but you wanted to tell me?’

‘Eventually yes, of course. I just, well I didn’t want you to react…’ he paused for a moment, his face wincing as he continued, ‘well, like this I suppose.’

At that Eleanor felt her face blush, partly in embarrassment at the way she was acting, and partly because Jasper had just admitted that he had thought about this before. Clearly his feelings hadn’t come as quite a shock as they had done for her.

‘Eleanor, I’m sorry if I have freaked you out, but I guess I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. I love you, Princess, more than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone. I understand that that may scare you, but I can assure you no one is more scared than me right now,’ Jasper told her, his voice so quite it was almost a whisper.

‘Why are you scared?’ Eleanor asked in confusion. Surely it was Eleanor who was more scared? Scared of the safety of her badly battered and bruised heart.

Jasper let out a little disbelieving laugh before he moved closer to her again, this time stopping just a foot away from the edge of the bed. ‘You really don’t realise, do you?’ he asked in disbelief before he continued. ‘Eleanor, you are _everything_ to me. I love you and I would do absolutely anything to keep you safe and make you happy. _Anything._ It terrifies me that my entire happiness rests completely with you, but I can do absolutely nothing to change that. I love the bones of you and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Do you not realise that you have the power to absolutely destroy my entire world?’

‘I,’ Eleanor began, words escaping her as she was left simply staring at Jasper, her mouth open. When she felt tears pricking at her eyes again she had no choice to let them fall, her heart thundering in her chest at Jasper’s revelation. That was the most honest, heartfelt confession she had ever heard from him and she could not believe it.

‘No baby, please don’t cry,’ Jasper told her gently, reaching forward to catch a tear that was making its way down her cheek. ‘I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have said all that,’ he added after a few minutes of silence, his eyes now shining with tears too. ‘I’m not expecting you to do anything. Well, I’m half expecting you to bolt out of this room any second and never want to see me again,’ he tried to joke, failing miserably.

‘I could never do that,’ Eleanor whispered, her heart melting at his term of endearment. ‘I wouldn’t be able to cope ever seeing you again.’

Jasper did finally smile at that, a small, hesitant upturning of lips. It may not have been much, but at least it meant he perhaps hadn’t quite scared her away, or had her running for the hills. He knew it was a lot to take in, it had taken him a while to come to terms with his feelings himself, but he hated the look of pain that was covering Eleanor’s face.

Before he had a chance to say anything else there was a firm knock on the door behind him and he watched Eleanor quickly scrub away her tears as she desperately tried to cover all her emotions. She succeeded, as when she moved to see who had just stepped into her room, her face was a mask of dignity and composure, only offset by the red rims surrounding her eyes.

‘Your Highness, your mother is requesting your presence for the official photographs,’ the guard told her.

‘Of course, I will just be a few minutes while I freshen up,’ she replied steadily, her eyes only moving to briefly meet Jasper’s before she turned away, moving towards her vanity to cover up the tear tracks very faintly visible down her cheeks.

When the guard remained stood inside her bedroom, clearly waiting to take Eleanor to wherever she needed to be, Jasper took a large breath in, adopting his most professional voice. ‘I apologise if what I have said has upset you, Your Highness and I promise I will do whatever you feel is best moving forward and I shall give you some time to think about what that may be. You know where to find me when you’ve reached a decision.’ With that, Jasper gave her back one more glance before he turned to leave, knowing it was space which she needed now.

‘Jasper, I,’ she heard him call out to her, halting him halfway across her room. When he turned to meet her gaze, he once again saw the fear and confusion in her beautiful eyes. Before she had the chance to say anything she might regret, or more likely the rejection which Jasper’s heart was not ready to hear, he spoke again before making his exit from the room with his shoulders back to conceal the weakness he felt inside.

‘I am sure you will look stunning as always, your Highness.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	29. Realisation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow 29 chapters, I honestly can't believe it! Thank you so much to everyone who is still reading and for those of you leaving kudos and such lovely comments! I'm sorry the wait between chapters has been pretty long recently but hopefully it's worth it!

Eleanor felt as if her legs were made of jelly as she made her way unsteadily to wherever she was needed, the surrounding blurring in her periphery as she tried to focus on her breathing. Her head was whirring and she found herself foolishly reaching up to make sure it wasn’t actually spinning.

“Your Highness, if I may ask, are you okay?”

Eleanor stopped on her unsteady legs, blinking a few times before she could focus on the now concerned face of the guard stood before her. She had to clear her throat before she could manage to get any words out in reply, her voice scratchy when she finally did. “Er, yes I’m…” she tried, unsure of exactly what to say.

“Mr Frost,” the guard continued, the name immediately catching her full attention, “he hasn’t hurt you in any way, has he?”

Eleanor stared blankly for a few moments, the guards wary tone catching her off guard. “No of course not!” she assured him, her voice rising by more than a few octaves and garnering a wince in reply.

“If he has then I can assure you that we will deal with it immediately, you have nothing to be frightened of.”

“What?” Eleanor asked incredulously, confusion contorting her face. “There’s nothing to deal with, Jasper would never hurt me!”

She watched as the guard nodded, bowing his head respectfully before moving to the side to allow her to continue walking. “Just know that if he ever did-“ he began again seriously.  
“He would never!” Eleanor practically shouted, the feeling of protectiveness firing through her like her life blood.

The guard looked shocked now, realising his job would be at stake if he was believed to have upset the princess. “I’m very sorry Your Highness, you seemed upset and I was just wondering why. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.” His tone gave away his nervousness, his hands fidgeting at his sides as he avoided her piercing gaze.

Eleanor paused a moment, taking a deep breath as she felt some of the annoyance pass. “I thank you for your concern but I am fine,” she told him in the calmest voice she could manage, giving what she hoped came across as a reassuring smile.

She felt herself steadying slightly as she continued to make her way down the almost endless Palace corridors, her mind finally empty as she focussed on the dull thudding of the guard’s footsteps behind her.

Until.

_Why_

Suddenly, the guards words from before were repeating over in her head, one particular word striking her as if she was just hearing it for the first time.

_“You seemed upset… why?”_

The guard was right, she was upset. But as that word struck her repeatedly, repeating like a bad dream in her mind, she found herself asking the same question. Why was she upset?  
Yes, Jasper had hit her with a huge bombshell that she had not been expected, but this one wasn’t like the other bombshells she’d experienced in her life, was it? Her father dying, finding out he wasn’t her real father, then finding out he was. They were all massive surprises, and with them came destruction and turmoil, upset to her life. But had this one caused the same?

With Jasper’s confession there had been no bloodshed, no lives irrevocably altered and the Kingdom didn’t seem to be at risk. When she was truthful to herself, what the confession had actually brought was a sense of warmth she hadn’t fully felt since she was a small child. A sense of safety that no number of security officers had managed to give her. A sense of being home that had nothing to do with the grand Palace walls surrounding her.

So now she just had to consider what was stronger – the sense of belonging she felt when she was with Jasper or the fear of giving someone else the care of her heart.

Jasper felt his hands shaking as he closed the door behind him and practically fell onto it, his body no longer able to hold up his own weight. He knew he had to get back to work, this wasn’t exactly a normal day and he knew they needed every member of security to be on high alert, but he needed a few minutes to compose himself. His stomach was churning uncomfortably, unable to settle when so much of his life felt like it was suddenly in disarray.

 _Why_ had he gone and said it on a day like today? He was kicking himself for his lack of thought, his horrendous timing no doubt making Eleanor’s panic worse.

“Come on Jasper you can get through this, you’ve faced worse.” He tried to give himself a pep-talk, anything to try and unscramble his hectic thoughts. Images of Eleanor asking him to leave the Palace played every time he closed his eyes, but whenever he opened them he was faced with the emptiness before him. He didn’t know which was worse.

As he glanced at his watch he realised he’d been away from the family for far too long for no-one to get suspicious and so with a quick shake of himself he had no choice but to make his way back to the madness.

“Lenny, where were you? Mum said you’d run off,” Liam began as soon as he caught sight of her moving to stand beside him, the photographer grunting at the disruption to his shot.   
“I’m sorry, I just needed some time to get my head together. I’m here now.” She tried her best to give her brother what she hoped was a reassuring smile, but the worried look he gave in return showed her it clearly hadn’t worked.

“What’s happened?” he asked immediately, turning quickly to wave off the photographer for a break.

“Nothing,” Eleanor replied unconvincingly, “it’s just been a big day that’s all.”

“Come on Len don’t lie to me. If somethings happened I need to know,” Liam urged her, his protectiveness spiking through him.

Sighing, Eleanor ran a hand through her hair in agitation. She barely knew what was going on herself without worrying her brother. “I was just talking to Jasper, that’s all.”

She watched as Liam’s eyebrows furrowed slightly before rising in surprise, a grin spreading across his face. “He told you how he feels? Finally, I was thinking he was never going to do it!”   
She watched in confusion as her brother looked down at her hands, his face falling again suddenly.

“What happened?” he asked again, this time his voice urgent in its worry.

“Wait a minute, you knew?” she asked, feeling a flare of anger burst to the surface. “You knew he was going to say it and you didn’t even give me so much as a warning?”

“A warning?” Liam repeated dumbstruck, “why would you need a warning? This isn’t something bad or dangerous, I thought you would have been happy? I didn’t want to ruin the surprise!”

“Surprise is one word for it,” Eleanor muttered, dropping her eyes as her head began whirring yet again.

She felt a slight bit of comfort when her brother raise his hand to cup her chin gently, rising her head so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “I thought you felt the same? Surely this is a wonderful thing that he’s committing to you like this?” he asked carefully, regarding his sister warily. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“What do you mean committing to me? Just because he has said he loves me doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind, doesn’t mean he’s not going to hurt me.”

Liam was shocked by the vulnerability in his sister’s voice, something which he so rarely heard he almost forgot it existed.

“But Len that’s the point of the ring, him proving his commitment to you!” he urged. It wasn’t until he saw her face furrow in confusion that he realised he’d put his foot in it.

“What ring?”

“What?” he replied stupidly, his mind desperately working to find some sort of answer.

“Don’t play stupid with me Liam,” she replied sternly.

“I’m sorry,” Liam replied on a sigh, “I didn’t mean to tell you about that. I just thought he’d have given it you when he told you how he feels. What exactly happened?”

Eleanor felt herself wince at his question. “Well, er, he said he loved me. I don’t think he meant to say it then, it was like it just slipped out of him and then-“ she halted, not sure how exactly to explain her response.

“Did you say it back?” Liam asked carefully, watching his sister’s reaction intently.

“No,” she admitted immediately. “Why do you think I would?”

Now it was Liam’s turn to look confused again. “Well you do, don’t you? I thought you’d realised that, it’s pretty obvious to everyone watching.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel, I just know that I’m scared.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper, her own honesty shocking her.

“What are you scared of?” Liam asked gently. When Eleanor didn’t reply for a few minutes he took a deep breath, knowing his next words could make or break this conversation. “He’s not like the others Len. He’s not after the money or the prestige. I know that he’s done some dodgy things in the past but I honestly believe that he’d here now because he loves you.”

“But how can you be sure?” she asked, her voice wavering as she felt tears prick at the back of her eyes.

“Well I suppose I can’t,” Liam admitted. “But I guess this is the part where you just have to trust him, believe that what he’s telling you is true. Do you believe him that he loves you?”

Eleanor was nodding before she even realised it herself. She wasn’t sure why but she did believe that Jasper loved her, or he at least thought he did. It was like she could feel his conviction deep inside her, his truth resonating within her bones.

“Then there you go, what is there to fear?” Liam asked.

“Just because you love someone it doesn’t mean you won’t hurt them. I love you so much, but I know we’ve done things before to hurt each other. Look at me and mum, we’re not exactly a poster campaign of how you should treat your loved ones.”

Liam couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle. “Nobody’s perfect. Maybe that’s all a part of love, that yes while you try your hardest not to hurt the one you love, sometimes you can’t help it, we all make mistakes. But it’s how you deal with those mistakes, how you combat the things that hurt you together.”

_Together._

Eleanor felt that word ring through her, her heart clenching of the thought of together. Being a part of couple. Not being alone.

“I know it can seem scary to put your trust in someone like that but you’re focussing on all of the negatives. What about all the other positives that would come from being with someone you love? The laughs, the support, the companionship. Are you really telling me you would give up on all the good things because you’re letting fear of the bad things stop you?”

Eleanor could hear the incredulity in her brother’s voice, his almost disbelieving despair at her own stupidness. He was right, wasn’t he? Yes, it may be terrifying to give Jasper control of her heart, but what if instead of destroying it, he kept it safe. Nurtured and cared for it.

She could almost feel her heart yearning for that, as if it wanted to leap out of her chest and across to Jasper of its own will.

“You’re right,” Eleanor told her brother, a smile beginning to stretch across her lips.

“Well of course I am! I am the King of England, I know my stuff,” he assured her with a beaming smirk.

Eleanor couldn’t help but grin back at her brother, her proudness at his achievements spreading like warmth through her chest. When he pulled her into a tight hug, she clung on for longer than necessary, whispering her thanks into his chest.

“So, do you love him too?” Liam asked quietly when he finally pulled back, a knowing glint in his eye.

At that moment, she heard a slight noise behind her, a familiar voice as Jasper returned to his station. His body was not facing her, his posture straight and professional, but it was still enough to send a jolt of longing through her. She didn’t take her eyes away from his lean frame as she replied equally as quietly to her brother, “yes, I love him too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!


	30. Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I am so sorry about the wait for this, I've made it a little longer so I hope it's at least slightly worth it! Thank you to all of you loyal readers who have stuck with this for so long and have left such lovely, supportive comments!

She knew that someone was trying to speak to her, their voice like an irritating hum in her ear, but she couldn’t find the will to focus on them. As soon as the quietly spoken confession had passed her lips, it was the only thing she was capable of thinking about. Her whole body seemed to be in tune to Jaspers presence across the room, as if there was some invisible force inside of her that was desperately trying to urge her towards him. As if it was a physical impossibility for them to be apart for too long.

Now that she had finally admitted the truth to herself, she couldn’t understand how she had managed to deny it for so long. How she had thought the connection between them may be ever be broken. Standing here now she knew with every fibre of her being that it couldn’t, that the feelings she had for her bodyguard were stronger than her, and even with the fiercest will in the world they were not something which she had the power or ability to change. And she didn’t want to either.

“For goodness sake Eleanor, will you please cooperate!”

Her mother’s harsh voice, coupled with the non-too gentle shove against her arm, suddenly brought Eleanor back into the room. Meeting her mother’s scowl, she shuffled further towards her brother, disinterestedly following the photographer’s instructions on her positioning for what felt like the hundredth family portrait of the day.

Her focus still on the other side of the room, she felt rather than saw her brother edge closer to her as he leant down slightly to whisper in her ear. “So, when are you going to tell him?”

That finally caught her attention, her head spinning around quickly to face Liam, with a wide-eyed look of panic. “What do you mean?”

Liam couldn’t hold in the bubble of laughter that his sisters bewildered question brought to his lips. “Well I think you need to talk to him, don’t you? Tell him how you feel?”

“Now? I don’t exactly think this is the right time for that, do you?” Eleanor was annoyed that the slight tremble in her voice betrayed her nerves.

“Is there ever a right or wrong time to tell someone you love them back?” Liam asked, “stop stalling and just do it!”

Eleanor shook her head instinctively, “don’t be silly, this is your time Liam! I want to be here for you, the focus should be just on you today.” This was undoubtedly the biggest day of her brother’s life so far, not to mention a day which would go down in Great Britain’s history books, it was not the time for her to be taking any of his well-earned and deserved attention.

“No offence Len, but you’re not exactly paying this day much attention right now are you?” Liam teased, knowing exactly where his sisters thoughts were focussed, and it certainly wasn’t on him. “You’re not going to be able to think about anything else until you’ve told him, so you might as well get on with it.”

“But-” Eleanor tried again, her stomach clenching uncomfortably at the thought.

“No buts!” Liam interrupted with a smile, “you need to tell him today Len, for your own peace of mind as much as for his.”

“Fine,” she begrudgingly agreed, letting out a deep sigh, “I’ll tell him tonight, how about that? For now I will stay right here with my family and later on I will talk to Jasper.”

“Promise?” her brother asked her gently, smiling reassuringly when his sister reached up to intertwine their pinky fingers.

“Promise.”

Jasper gave a small, bittersweet smile as he watched Eleanor smiling up at her brother, her pride evident. It made him think of Taylor suddenly, the sister who he had loved with every bone in his body, and who he would do anything to have here with him today. He was glad that Eleanor had such a strong relationship with Liam, someone who would always be there to support her and keep her safe. It was a relief that at least when he left he knew she would be cared for.

The photographer was finally wrapping up after what felt like hours of endless photos, so he made his way as quickly as he could to one of the younger guards flanking the side of the room.

“Jack, Tom,” he greeted two of them in turn. He didn’t know them well, but he knew they had been at the palace long enough to know the place well, hopefully know how to protect the Princess. And while he didn’t trust just one of them, perhaps two of them could keep her safe.

They both turned to face him quickly, their bodies straightening out immediately and their smiles instantly disappearing as they realised who had addressed them. It was as if they were expecting to receive a stern word, as if they deserved reprimanding for something, and an unease settled in Jasper’s stomach. They’d kept their jobs here for over a year from what he’d heard, so he had to put at least a little faith in them.

“I need you both to cover the Princess for the next few days.” Jasper gave no introduction, no explanation, keeping his face serious.

“Er, the Princess? Isn’t she your responsibility?”

Jasper had to clench his hands to hold in his irritation at the stupid question.  
“Yes, but I am handing that responsibility to you two, despite my better judgement. I’m sure that a new bodyguard will be assigned within a few days but until then, do you think you can cooperate enough to protect her Highness?” He knew his tone was coming across harsh on the young guys, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Yes, sir.” Jack affirmed with a curt nod, giving a nervous look towards his colleague. “We will keep her safe.”

“Um, may we ask why?” Tom asked quietly, clearing his throat nervously as if anxious of the reaction.

“Why?” Jasper asked dumbly.

“Well yes, why are you giving up your post?”

“I’m not giving up,” Jasper replied immediately, and far too loudly for the crowded room. But he wasn’t giving up was he? He was doing what was best for Eleanor and, if he was honest, his own heart. He couldn’t bare to stand around and watch Eleanor push him away, no point in waiting for her to fire him herself. “I’m leaving tonight. I know it is short notice and so it’s better for me to make arrangements for her Highness’s safety before I leave.”

“Does the Princess know about this change of plan?” Tom asked cautiously, his confusion evident in the furrow of his brows.

“No, not exactly. I’ll sort it, okay? Just don’t say anything to her about it. Okay?”  
When both men nodded back at him, Jasper smiled weakly before turning to leave the room. He looked back for one last glance at Eleanor, before taking a deep breath and making his way down the hallway towards his office on shaky legs.

He tried to ignore the way the air suddenly felt thick around him as he struggled to breath.

Eleanor let out a deep sigh of relief when her mother finally dismissed her, giving her a few hours to go and prepare herself for the celebratory ball that evening. It had already been what felt like a very long day, she couldn’t imagine how her brother must be feeling to be at the centre of it all.  
Giving Liam a quick parting hug, she turned back to the guards surrounding the room, her eyes scanning their faces for the one she desperately wanted to find. She’d taken her eyes off Jasper for only a few minutes, but it was almost instinct for them to seek him out again as soon as possible. When she didn’t find those striking blue eyes, she felt a tug of anxiousness in her gut, uneasiness unsettling her instantly.

Before she even had a chance to look further, she felt the presence of someone beside her. She’d barely even noticed their approach, her attention entirely fixed elsewhere.

“Your Highness, are you ready to return to your room? The hairdresser has arrived and is ready when you are.”

Eleanor found that the only thing she could manage to do was blink back at the two men now stood before her. She recognised them faintly, her mind convincing her she’d at least seen them around before, but she couldn’t fathom why they would be talking to her now.

“Excuse me?” She asked dumbly.

“I’m sorry your Highness, of course there is no rush,” the other man replied instantly, wringing his hands in front of him. Bumbling fool immediately sprung to mind.

Eleanor still stood frozen to the spot, a confused frown furrowing her brow. “Who are you?”

“I’m Jack, your Highness,” the first man introduced himself before lowering his head slightly.

It wasn’t until his colleague gave him a stern look and a none too gentle elbow in the ribs that the other man spoke up. “Tom, your Highness,” he blurted out nervously, not meeting her gaze. She knew they should be described as men as it was obvious they were older than her, but at this point ‘boys’ seemed more appropriate.

When it was clear she was still confused, Jack decided to speak up again. “We have briefly been put in charge of your safety and will be accompanying you for the rest of the day. It will be a pleasure to protect you, Princess.”

Eleanor scoffed before she could help herself. “Okay is this some sort of joke?” Where was Jasper, she didn’t have time for this nonsense. “I don’t have time for this,” she informed them none too gently before barging her way past them and making her way out of the room. Perhaps Jasper had already gone ahead?

Within mere seconds she felt their presence behind her again. At least they were fairly fast she supposed, but she could be too and she instantly span around and met them with a fierce look.  
“I already have a bodyguard, thank you very much, I don’t need Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb following me around like lost puppies.”

“I’m sorry, but we are your bodyguards right now, your Highness,” the one she thinks was called Jack told her carefully, an apologetic smile gracing his lips.

“I don’t understand, where is Jasper?” She asked in response, the feeling of dread re-rising like bile and leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I’m not entirely sure at his moment, you High-“ he continued, before Eleanor harshly cut him off.

“If you call me your Highness, one more time I swear I’ll have you fired on the spot,” she spat in annoyance. Seeing the two startled faces before her she took a deep breath to try and steady her racing heart. “Can you please just tell me what is going on?” she asked slightly calmer.

“We don’t have much information, your-“ Tom told her, almost using her formal name before catching himself just in time. He received a stern look from Eleanor but thankfully she kept quiet. “Mr Frost came to us not long ago and assigned us as your new security personnel due to his forthcoming absence and that is all we know.”

Jack suddenly faced him with wide eyes, realising his colleagues slip up in words. “I assure you we will do our upmost to protect you, Princess,” he added quickly with a smile, desperately trying to divert her attention.

There was a brief moment of silence before Eleanor managed to push past the anxiousness to quietly ask, “forthcoming absence?”

It was only then that Tom realised what he had said, backtracking anxiously. “I’m sorry but we were not supposed to say. I’m sure that everything is fine-“ he spoke so quickly it was barely legible.

“Stop!” Eleanor cut him off with a raised hand and voice. “I demand you tell me everything right now or I will see your disobeying of orders as treason.” She knew her threats were the only way to get to the bottom of what exactly was going on.

“Jasper said he was leaving tonight.” Jack informed her quietly, “he told us not to say anything.”

“Tonight?” Eleanor whispered, her stomach tightening in a way that made her instantly nauseous. When they nodded in reply, Eleanor turned and began marching back to her room immediately.

“We need to stop him. That bastard is not stepping foot outside of this Palace before we’ve spoken properly,” she told the men now following her, ignoring their matching bewildered looks.

She flung the door open to her room, oblivious to her hairdresser stood waiting beside her vanity and her eyes immediately latched onto the clothes stand that had been brought in. She ignored her own dress for the minute, as well as the designer who was stood beside it trying to greet her. Gently pulling the bag which she knew held a ridiculously expensive suit inside from the rail, she turned and handed it to Jack.

“I need you to take this to Jasper in a minute,” she told him, the urgency evident in the tone of her voice as well as the shaking of her hands.

As soon as Eleanor had seen the stunning, deep blue material, an image of Jasper had entered her mind she hadn’t been able to dispel. She could instantly imagine the way the colour would bring out his beautiful, sparkling eyes and make his blonde hair shine. The ideas for her own dress had almost come secondary, and while she was excited about having her own dress made from the beautiful, flowing fabric, she hadn’t been able to resist also ordering a custom-made suit for Jasper in the same colour. The designer had given her a funny look upon her request, but Eleanor had simply told her she wanted her security personnel to match, making a joke about the atrocity that would be a simple black suit beside the work of art her dress was bound to be. The designer had laughed haughtily in agreement, and Eleanor could almost see the pound signs flashing in her eyes as they had gone over details, never questioning the Princess’s strange request again.

Eleanor had never mentioned the suit to Jasper. If she was honest she didn’t know how to broach the subject with him. She felt as if asking him to wear a custom-made piece she’d had designed with him personally in mind seemed almost too intimate. She’d decided to wait until the night to present it to him, hoping that the words would come to her in the moment which would allow her to explain the suit without giving too much away about her emotions.

But now, she couldn’t think of a better way to give it to him.

Striding over to the chest beside her vanity she pulled out a large box which has the royal stamp emblazoned on the top, pulling out a piece of fine paper and a pen before shoving it haphazardly away. Pushing the hairdresser aside when she tried to interact with her, Eleanor sat herself at her vanity, ignoring the man’s incessant chattering.

“Will everyone shut up!” she practically barked, her heart rate soaring as she felt the blood rush through her ears.

Eleanor closed her eyes for a minute in an attempt to calm herself down before taking a deep breath and focussing on the paper in front of her which was now blurring from the tears which were prickling her eyes. Blinking a few times to clear them as much as she could, she finally set her pen down on the paper and scribbled out a quick note to Jasper.

Twenty minutes later, Jack stood at Jasper’s door, fist raised as he knocked loudly onto the aged wood. He could hear shuffling behind the door for a moment, along with a quiet curse, before the door was pulled open to reveal a slightly dishevelled looking Jasper.

His hair was askew, pointing up in random places as if he’d been running his hand through it in agitation. He’d changed out of his work suit, now wearing a pair of faded, comfy looking blue jeans and jumper, his once crisp white shirt now rumpled and with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms.

“Jack?” Jasper asked once he recognised the man stood at his door, his expression giving away his confusion. However, within seconds his narrowed eyes widened into pure panic, his face washing of colour. “What’s happened? Where’s the Princess?” Jasper’s mind was suddenly racing a mile a minute, his mind immediately jumping to the conclusion that something had happened to Eleanor. Why else would her new guard have come to find him?

“No, nothing! She’s fine I promise you! Tom’s with her right now,” Jack was quick to reassure. He didn’t miss the sense of relief which washed over Jasper, it was almost like a physical force which was radiating out of him in waves. Not for the first time, he questioned the relationship between Mr Frost and the Princess. He wasn’t stupid, he’d seen the way Jasper had always looked at the Princess and just now he’d seen the same sense of panic and anxiety within the Princess at the thought of Jasper leaving.

“What do you want then?” Jasper asked curiously, bringing Jack out of his thoughts.

“I’m under instruction from the Princess to bring you this,” he told Jasper as he presented him with the suit bag. When he noticed Jasper’s confusion grow further he gave a small smile and withdrew the golden coloured envelope from his pocket. “I think this will explain.”

Reaching out a cautious hand, Jasper first took the envelope, feeling a pang in his chest as he recognised Eleanor’s elegant curved handwriting on the front spelling out his name. He’d always loved the way Eleanor had said his name, and he could almost hear it in his mind now. It was just one of the thousands of things he was going to miss about the Princess.

Giving Jack another cautious glance, he turned the envelope over gently and opened it to withdraw what appeared to be a letter, again addressed to him.

_Jasper,_

_I hope beyond anything that you get this and I’m not too late. I can’t believe you were going to just pack up and leave without even saying goodbye. Not about this. We’ve been through so much worse, I didn’t expect this to be what made you run away. You promised me that you would be by my side throughout today, that you wouldn’t let me out of your sight. I believed you that everything would be fine, but now, with the threat of you leaving, everything feels as far from fine as it’s ever been. I know that I said I was scared, about believing you and putting my heart in your hands, but nothing has ever scared me as much as the thought of never seeing you again._

_If you truly mean the things you’ve said to me, if you really love me, then you will meet me tonight. If you wish to leave after we have spoken I won’t stop you. But after everything we’ve been through to get to this place, please don’t leave me like this._

_Your Princess,_

_Len x_

Jasper felt the tears prickling at the back of his eyes as he re-read the letter again, not quite believing the words which were written on the paper in his hands. A spark of hope seemed to light a fire inside of him which made him feel warm, a smile gracing his lips as he realised that despite Eleanor’s anger and worries and fear, he might still have a chance.

Looking up, he noticed the coy smile on Jack’s face, but before he had a chance to ask, Jack was pushing the suit bag into his hands.

“I think it’s time to go and get your girl, don’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!  
> I’d love to know your thoughts!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading; I hope you’re enjoying the story!


End file.
